History-maker Eva Okaro hoping to 'enjoy the experience' at first Olympics

With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games around the corner, we’re taking a closer look at some of our aquatics athletes who are representing Team GB in the French capital this summer.

Teenager Eva Okaro will make history as soon as she enters the pool in Paris where she will become the first black female pool swimmer to represent Team GB at an Olympic Games.

She follows in the footsteps of Alice Dearing, who became Team GB’s first black female swimmer in Tokyo after competing in the open water events.

But the 17-year-old, who’s also the youngest of the 30-strong British team heading across the channel, is hoping to enjoy her first Games experience.

Speaking on her hopes for Paris, she said: “I would just like to have a great experience and have loads of fun.

“Since it is my first Games I just want to enjoy being in the village, enjoy taking part and racing against all of the other athletes.”

Okaro’s had an impressive rise through the sport, progressing through the Swim England talent pathway with both the South East region and more recently as part of Swim England’s Junior and Youth Performance squads.

She started swimming at a young age at her local leisure centre before joining Sevenoaks Swimming Club in Kent alongside her sister Izabella – who was part of the European Junior Swimming Championship’s team earlier this month.

‘An honour and privilege’

Eva won bronze at her first European Junior Championships in 2021 which helped her move onto the Aquatics GB Podium Potential Programme at the end of 2022, before she and her sister both moved to Derbyshire where they now train at Repton School.

The siblings have always had a competitive relationship and doing it together has helped the pair foster their love for the sport.

“I think doing it this alongside my sister helped me because she also swims at such a high level. That’s something that has always kept me going, that competitive edge between the both of us.

“She and our entire family were all just super excited (when she made the team) and they can’t wait to see what comes in Paris.”

Okaro qualified for the Games after pulling off two of the standout swims at the Speedo Aquatics GB Swimming Championships in April.

Her two silver medals at the London Aquatics Centre in the Women’s 50m and 100m Freestyle saw her finish only behind Olympic gold medallist Anna Hopkin.

It saw her selected for the squad where she’s set to be a part of the women’s relay teams that will be hopeful of a podium place.

And despite the potential pressure of jumping straight from junior competition to the Olympic stage, Okaro sees her place in Paris as a perfect opportunity to inspire the next generation.

She told Team GB: “I think it’s an honour and privilege to be in this position and to inspire other young black swimmers to know they can make it all the way

“Growing up I didn’t see many other black swimmers in the pool, obviously I had my sister there, but it has changed slightly now. I see more people at competitions but not loads.

“I’ve never spoken to Alice before but have seen her training at Loughborough a couple of times.

“To be the first person to do anything is really inspirational anyway so she is an inspiration to me and loads of other young black swimmers.

“It’s pretty crazy to go from junior meets to the biggest meet there is but I’m really excited to be able to race with really experienced and capable swimmers and put myself in the mix.

“I’m going to get so much experience from the team.”