Husnah Kukundakwe, Uganda's only Para swimmer, is intelligent beyond her years and eager to present the world she intends business in the pool.
Her second Games following her becoming the youngest Paralympian at Tokyo 2020, aged just 14, is Paris 2024.
She missed the final but swum a personal best in the women's 100m breaststroke SB8. She wants to excel in three events this time: 50m freestyle S8, 100m butterfly S8, and women's 100m breaststroke SB8.
"My training has been going quite nicely. Many developments since Tokyo," she remarked. Ahead of her events, the 17-year-old has been absorbing the ambiance of the Paralympic Village.
Kukundakwe says training as a top Para athlete in Uganda still has difficulties, even as her preparation for Paris has been quite seamless compared to the lead-up to the Tokyo Games disrupted by the epidemic.
"It's very, quite challenging. There is only one 50-meter pool in Uganda, and it is not an arena either. She stated, "It's actually in a hotel and access to it is quite costly."
"So, instead of a competition pool where I will be competing in 50m, I end up training short-course 25m."
She expects things to be corrected particularly given swimming and para sports' increasing popularity in Uganda.
Kukundakwe, who was born without her right forearm, would cover her missing limb under long sleeves.