‘I want to show young girls in Tanzania that with dedication and hard work, their potential is endless.’- Interview with Olympic swimmer, Sophia Latiff

On 26 July, the world watched as Paris ignited the Olympic flame with a breathtaking opening ceremony on the Seine River. Athletes from over two hundred countries, participated in a historic celebration. This year's Games mark a pivotal moment—the first Olympics with an equal number of male and female competitors.

Ahead of the Olympics, UN Women sat down with Sophia Anisa Latiff, a young swimmer and one of the three women and seven team members representing Tanzania this year, to discuss her journey to the Olympics.

Making waves – from Tanzania to the world stage

Retelling her first encounter with a body of water, Sophia laughs as she shares how she screamed when her father first tried to dip her in the sea. "It's funny to think about now," she says, "but I like to introduce my story this way to inspire others that you can do whatever you put your mind to."

Having eventually learned how to swim, Sophia's journey into competitive swimming officially began at the age of nine when her swimming club coach identified her exceptional talent.

Honing her skills further meant giving up other extracurricular activities to focus exclusively on the sport, undergoing an intense training regimen four to six days a week, with her days regularly beginning at 5 a.m.

As a student-athlete, she says balancing between swimming and academics has been one of her biggest challenges. “It’s incredibly tough,” she explains. "If you focus on school more, you can’t attend all the training and lose your performance in the pool. If you focus on swimming more, then you risk letting your grades slip."

Despite these hurdles, Sophia’s determination prevailed. She proved her swimming prowess through numerous competitions over the years and ultimately secured a coveted spot on the national Olympic team. "Competing at the Olympics has always been my dream," she shares, crediting the achievement to the support of her family, friends, and coaches. “It hasn't quite set in yet, and it still feels surreal. But it also feels great and I'm soaking it all in.”

With her competition date for the women’s 50m freestyle mere days away, she approaches it with excitement and confidence: "I have been doing the work, and I’m ready. I just want to do my country proud and represent the flag of Tanzania well.”

Facilities, training and recognition – Her three essentials to advance gender equality in sports

Women's participation in sports in Tanzania has been steadily increasing, with notable strides made in recent years. Determined athletes and supportive organizations are driving positive change with Tanzanian women increasingly achieving success at national, regional and international levels.

Despite significant progress, as in many countries, women remain underrepresented in sports. Additionally, studies have shown that girls are more likely to drop out of sports than boys, a trend Sophia attests to witnessing first-hand.

 "At our swimming heats, you usually see tons of little girls, but as they get older, there are fewer and fewer," she observed. To encourage more girls to pursue sports, Sophia recommends increasing investments in swimming facilities like Olympic-sized pools and essential equipment, “Having the right facilities will set Tanzanian swimmers apart from other African nations and improve our performance significantly.”  She also advocates for expanding swimming programmes, fair compensation, and increasing media coverage of female athletes to create inspiring role models for young girls.

Paving the way for the next generation

Looking ahead, Sophia is clear on her Olympic goals: to beat her personal best time and break the records of previous Tanzanian swimmers. She also wants to inspire young girls from the country,

“I'm not just swimming for myself. This sport has opened countless doors for me, and it has been extremely rewarding. I want to show young Tanzanian girls that with dedication, hard work and the right support, their potential is endless, and they can become the next generation of rising stars to achieve amazing things.”

Tanzania Olympic Committee (@olympictanzania) • Instagram photos and videos

“The Olympics provides a crucial platform to demonstrate that women can excel in all sports, and I’m also proud to be one of two swimmers on a gender-equal national swim team,” she adds.

Following the Olympics, Sophia will embark on her final year of high school. Afterwards, she plans to pursue a degree in psychology, taking her passion for swimming with her wherever she goes.

Since 2012, UN Women has partnered with the International Olympic Committee aiming to harness the power of sport to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women. Through a Memorandum of Understanding, the partnership focuses on promoting gender-responsive policies, governance, and investment; promoting safe and equal opportunities for women and girls to benefit from sport, physical activity and physical education, and preventing gender-based violence; and strengthening advocacy, communication, collaborative insight generation, and knowledge-sharing.