The Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, has thrown his weight behind the sporting and youth-development aspirations of promising swimmer and coach, Dare Samuel Akinrodoye, popularly known as Coach Dreh, as he seeks to launch a major endurance challenge linking Osun State to Lagos.
The proposed initiative, tagged “Project 226 – Endurance Has No Visa,” is designed as a one-day endurance challenge involving 3.8 kilometres of swimming, 180 kilometres of cycling and 42.2 kilometres of running.
Akinrodoye says the project is intended not merely as a test of physical endurance but as a platform for promoting sports participation, healthy living, resilience, youth development and awareness of mental wellbeing.
The initiative represents an expansion of Akinrodoye’s advocacy, which seeks to demonstrate how sports can be deployed as a constructive tool for engaging young people and encouraging positive choices.
Ogunlende had earlier introduced Akinrodoye to Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, thereby bringing the swimmer’s achievements, sporting ambitions and advocacy work to the attention of the state government.
Akinrodoye, who has distinguished himself in swimming and endurance sports, is now seeking the support of the Lagos State Government, corporate organisations, sporting bodies and other stakeholders to actualise Project 226.The proposed Osun-to-Lagos challenge is expected to bring together three demanding endurance disciplines in a single day, with swimming, cycling and running forming what Akinrodoye describes as a three-in-one sporting initiative.
For him, the project goes beyond the pursuit of a personal athletic milestone.
It is part of a broader vision to use sport to inspire young people to discover their abilities, develop discipline and resilience, remain physically active and pay greater attention to emotional wellbeing.
A major milestone in Akinrodoye’s sporting and advocacy journey was his successful swim across the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos in 2024, an endurance feat which he used to draw attention to issues surrounding suicide and depression and the importance of seeking appropriate support during periods of emotional difficulty.
“I am not just an athlete or a swimming coach; I am also a mental-health advocate who uses sports for development to pass a message,” Akinrodoye said.
According to him, Project 226 is a continuation of that philosophy, with endurance sports providing the platform for a wider conversation about healthy living, personal development and community support.
The “Endurance Has No Visa” concept is also intended to demonstrate that sporting aspirations can transcend geographical boundaries, while encouraging young people to see physical activity and talent development as avenues for personal growth.
Akinrodoye believes that strategic institutional and private-sector support could transform the proposed challenge from an individual endurance feat into a sustainable youth-development platform capable of encouraging wider participation in sports.
He is therefore appealing to the Lagos State Government, corporate organisations, sports federations, development partners and other stakeholders to support Project 226 through the provision of resources, technical assistance, logistics and other necessary backing.
The Commissioner’s intervention has been described by sports stakeholders as an important step towards connecting emerging sporting talent with government and institutional support.
Ogunlende’s support is also significant against the backdrop of efforts to encourage young people to participate actively in sports while creating opportunities for talent discovery and development.
For Akinrodoye, the journey from swimming to a multi-disciplinary endurance challenge reflects his conviction that sport can be used to communicate messages far beyond competition.
Through Project 226 — Osun to Lagos, he hopes to combine swimming, cycling and running in a single-day endurance feat while promoting the message that determination, discipline and resilience can help young people overcome barriers and pursue constructive goals.
The proposed 3.8km swim, 180km cycling and 42.2km run would constitute the physical core of the initiative, while its wider objective remains the promotion of youth participation in sports, healthy living and mental-wellbeing awareness.
With the proposed “Endurance Has No Visa” initiative, Akinrodoye hopes to move beyond his individual achievements and establish a platform that combines endurance sports, youth development and social advocacy.
He expressed optimism that with the support of government, the private sector and other stakeholders, Project 226 could become a sustainable platform for promoting sporting excellence, discovering emerging talent and encouraging young people in Lagos, Osun and beyond to embrace active and healthy lifestyles.
