It has taken me a few days to sit down and write about August 1 because I wanted the experience to settle before trying to explain what I witnessed on the shores of Lake Kivu. Saturday, August 1, 2026, clearly marked the inaugural Rwanda Swim/Skate Endurance Challenge in Karongi—the first event of its kind in the country. As president and co-founder of Ishyaka Swim Club, I had spent months working alongside Vincent Nemeyimana, president of the Rwanda Skating Federation, to bring this idea to life. Both our organisations are committed to expanding equitable access to the opportunities sport can offer young people across Rwanda. Partnering felt like the natural way to multiply the impact of our work. From the moment the idea was born, we coordinated closely with each other and with the leadership of Karongi District to build what we believed would be a memorable event. None of us imagined just how extraordinary it would become. It demanded creativity, persistence and, above all, trust. Karongi District believed in an idea that had never been tried before. Together, we recreated a 25-metre swimming pool by building a floating deck off the shore at Golf Eden Rock Hotel and finding ways to anchor lane dividers to it. At the same time, we designed a skating course along the hilly ring road overlooking Lake Kivu. Just as importantly, we asked ourselves a different question: what actually prevents young people from competing? The answers were obvious—membership in affiliated clubs and the cost of travelling to competitions. So instead of accepting those barriers, we removed them. Working within a limited budget meant relying on volunteers who believed in the mission enough to dedicate what became a 12-hour day of continuous—if immensely rewarding—work. By the time Vincent and I arrived in Karongi, most of the pieces were already in place. Golf Eden Rock's waterfront had been transformed into a competition venue. The skating route had been mapped and remapped alongside the Rwanda National Police. Medals and event merchandise had arrived, and local authorities were ready. Race day finally came. Ninety athletes had pre-registered. Then... almost nobody showed up. For a brief moment, I wondered whether the event was actually going to happen. Then, as is often the case in Rwanda, people arrived—just a little later than expected. And they kept coming. By the end of the day, 182 swimmers and skaters had competed. An estimated 1,200 spectators lined the lakeshore, while another 500 gathered along the roadside to watch the skaters speed through Karongi. Local DJs, joined by others who had travelled from Rubavu, kept the atmosphere alive throughout the day. Older siblings cheered for younger ones. Younger children looked up to the older athletes with admiration. My heart raced every time the announcer called out the skaters completing another lap of the ring road before they flew past like rock stars. The volunteers—some close friends, others complete strangers who simply wanted to help—worked tirelessly to keep everything running. Swimmers watched the skaters with amazement. Skaters stood mesmerised by the beauty and rhythm of open-water racing. Teams that rarely have the opportunity to meet because of travel costs and competition fees encouraged one another, laughed together and shared conversations along the shore. It was proof that while athletes may compete against one another in sport, they can still build friendships beyond it. For many parents, it was the first time they had ever watched their children compete in an organised event after years of attending training sessions. And, much to my daughter's embarrassment, I couldn't stop a tear rolling down my cheek as I placed a gold medal around her neck—not once, but three times that day. Pause for a moment and think about that. Rwanda is an athletic nation. We rightly treat sport as a national priority. Yet competitive sport still largely depends on club or federation affiliation, and most competitions remain concentrated in Kigali—even though many talented athletes live elsewhere. For countless families in Karongi on August 1, affiliation wasn't the obstacle. Travel costs weren't the obstacle. The athletes themselves certainly weren't the obstacle. The barrier was access. On that day, two organisations simply removed it. No entry fee. No requirement to belong to a club or federation. Transport provided for teams that otherwise could not afford the journey. The result exceeded anything we had imagined. But creativity alone could never have achieved that. Neither could passion. The event succeeded because Karongi District believed in the vision and stood firmly behind it. Local authorities processed permits efficiently and remained flexible whenever plans inevitably changed. The Rwanda National Police ensured the skating route remained safe throughout the day. The Rwanda Defence Force Marine Unit spent nearly ten hours on Lake Kivu protecting—and encouraging—young swimmers, some of whom I have coached since they were five years old. Ambulances remained on standby throughout the competition. Thankfully, they were never needed. We have already begun discussing a second edition with the Rwanda Skating Federation for 2027, while Golf Eden Rock has generously offered to leave the swimming lanes in place so athletes can continue training beyond race day. But I don't want August 1 to be remembered simply as an event that two organisations managed to organise once. What I witnessed convinced me of something much bigger. The barriers we spent months dismantling do not have to be dismantled by only two organisations every year. Clubs, federations, hotels, sponsors, districts, communities...everyone has something to contribute—a stretch of shoreline, a safe road, a spare pair of skates, a volunteer's afternoon, or financial support. Karongi showed what becomes possible when those contributions come together. The result was more than a sporting event. It was a day that belonged to children who too often watch from the sidelines instead of participating. That is how I hope future editions are built—not by one organisation, but by communities pooling their resources to create opportunities that inspire young people while also attracting visitors and investment. That is how these events stop being annual exceptions and instead become part of the culture of Rwandan sport. Because what I saw on August 1 was unforgettable: A district that fully embraced an ambitious idea. Two sports discovering they belonged together. And a shoreline full of young athletes who, for one remarkable Saturday, never had to ask permission for the chance to compete. Elise Deeqa Mugabo is the co-founder and President of Ishyaka Swim Club (Rwandan NNGO) and Friends of Ishyaka (US 501(c)(3)). Vincent Nemeyimana is President of Rwanda Skating Federation, and a child rights lawyer.
