Young Cayman athletes welcomed home from historic Dakar Youth Olympics

By Christopher Tobutt

More than half an hour after they were originally expected to arrive, four young Caymanian athletes finally emerged through the arrivals doors at Owen Roberts International Airport on Monday afternoon.

Nobody seemed to mind the wait.

Parents, siblings, friends and well-wishers had gathered patiently in the arrivals hall, watching the doors and waiting for their first glimpse of the athletes returning home from the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal. When they finally appeared, smiles, hugs and congratulations quickly followed.

The young delegation, comprising swimmers Kate Galatopoulos and Lev Fahy, together with beach volleyball players Rares Pomian and Dylan Simpson, represented the Cayman Islands at the historic Games, the first Olympic event ever staged on African soil. 

Among those welcoming them home was the Hon. Isaac Rankine, Minister for Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage, who greeted each of the athletes before leaving for another engagement.

“I just came to the airport to welcome the team back from Dakar,” Rankine said. “They did quite well under trying circumstances, as the temperature was very high over there. But they did very well considering, and that is why I am proud of them and wanted to welcome them back to the Cayman Islands.”

Also waiting to greet the athletes was Bernie Bush, President of the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee, who praised both their performances and their perseverance.

“We are very thankful to have made it there and back safely, so first of all we have to give thanks to God,” Bush said. “We also need to thank these young athletes. This was the youngest team we’ve ever taken, and they performed really well under some really hot conditions.”

Reflecting on the experience in Senegal, he added: “It was very exciting, very hot. Temperatures were up in the high 80s. We’re very pleased and proud of the kids. They tried their best under some adverse conditions.”

For 15-year-old swimmer Kate Galatopoulos, the experience could hardly have gone better.

“I competed in the 50-metre freestyle, the 200-metre freestyle and the 400-metre freestyle,” she said. “It went really well. I got a best time in all of them.”

Fellow swimmer Lev Fahy competed in the 50-metre and 100-metre freestyle, as well as the 50-metre and 100-metre backstroke.

“The freestyles were not what I wanted them to be,” he said. “I didn’t get personal bests or make finals in those events, so I’ll review them with my coach and see how I can improve. But the backstroke races were really good. I got a personal best in the 50 backstroke and made the finals in both backstroke events.”

His father, Martin Fahy, was among the proud family members waiting at the airport.

“I’m very proud of him,” he said. “Coming sixth in the Youth Olympics in the 50 metres was a huge achievement. He became the first Cayman athlete to make a final at the Youth Olympics.”

Martin recalled that his son’s swimming journey began while attending Grace Christian Academy.

“There was a pool there and somebody said, ‘This kid’s got some talent. We should put him in a swimming school.’ The first event he ever entered he broke a record, and he’s been progressing and breaking records ever since.”

For the beach volleyball team, the Games provided valuable lessons as they competed against some of the world’s best young players.

“We certainly learned a lot from the experience,” said Rares Pomian. “We know we have to improve, get better and improve our training.”

His teammate, 17-year-old Dylan Simpson, said the pair had given everything they had.

“We were competing against some of the top kids in the world,” he said. “The most we could do was try our best.”

Team Cayman’s Chef de Mission and Cayman Islands Olympic Committee Secretary General, Shakeina Bush, described the Games as a “phenomenal experience” for the young delegation.

“It was the first time these Games were brought to the continent of Africa,” she said. “The climate was very different from what they train in, whether overseas or locally, so there was some acclimatisation in the early stages. But the athletes adapted, and working with what is thrown at you is one of the greatest assets an athlete can have. They can use this experience as they progress through their athletic careers.”

As the celebrations continued in the arrivals hall, there was a sense that the journey to Dakar had been about more than medals and results. For four young Caymanians who had tested themselves against some of the world’s best youth athletes, the warm welcome awaiting them at home served as a reminder that Cayman was proud of what they had achieved and excited about what might come next.