Zimbabwe’s Connor Grist is Swimming Towards a Bigger Dream

For Connor Grist, the idea of representing Zimbabwe at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games began with a conversation in a car with his then-coach.

Two years later, the 17-year-old is preparing to compete on one of the biggest stages of his young career, guided by a simple belief: the work you put in is what you get out.

Grist will represent Zimbabwe in the 400-metre freestyle, his main event, and the 200-metre freestyle at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, from October 31 to November 13.