Ogunlende Backs Akinrodoye’s Project 226, Endurance Challenge from Osun to Lagos

 

—: Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende, with promising swimmer and coach, Dare Samuel Akinrodoye, popularly known as Coach DREH, during the Commissioner’s visit to witness Akinrodoye’s historic swim across the entire Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos in 2024.

wimmer seeks government, corporate support for ‘Endurance Has No Visa’ initiative

The Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, has expressed support for the sporting and youth-development aspirations of swimmer and coach, Dare Samuel Akinrodoye, popularly known as Coach Dreh, who is seeking to undertake a major endurance challenge from Osun State to Lagos.

The proposed initiative, tagged “Project 226 – Endurance Has No Visa,” is designed as a one-day endurance challenge comprising 3.8 kilometres of swimming, 180 kilometres of cycling and 42.2 kilometres of running.

Akinrodoye said the initiative is not merely aimed at setting a personal athletic milestone but is designed to promote sports participation, healthy living, resilience, youth development and awareness of mental wellbeing.

According to him, Project 226 is an extension of his advocacy for the use of sports as a constructive platform for engaging young people, encouraging discipline and inspiring them to make positive choices.

Ogunlende had earlier introduced Akinrodoye to the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, thereby bringing the swimmer’s achievements, sporting ambitions and advocacy efforts 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, development partners and other stakeholders to actualise the project.

The proposed Osun-to-Lagos challenge will combine three demanding endurance disciplines—swimming, cycling and running—in a single-day sporting feat.

For Akinrodoye, however, the project goes beyond competition.

He said 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 their emotional wellbeing.

A major milestone in his sporting and advocacy journey was his successful swim across the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos in 2024, an endurance feat through which he sought to raise awareness about suicide, 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.

He explained that Project 226 is a continuation of that philosophy, with endurance sports serving as a platform for broader conversations around healthy living, personal development, resilience 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 said strategic institutional and private-sector support could transform Project 226 from an individual endurance feat into a sustainable youth-development platform capable of encouraging greater participation in sports.

He therefore appealed to the Lagos State Government, corporate organisations, sports federations, development partners and other stakeholders to support the initiative through funding, technical assistance, logistics and other necessary resources.

Ogunlende’s support, he said, represents an important opportunity to connect emerging sporting talent with government and institutional support, particularly at a time when greater youth participation in sports and talent development is being encouraged.

For Akinrodoye, the transition from swimming to a multi-disciplinary endurance challenge reflects his conviction that sports can 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 determination, discipline, resilience, healthy living and positive youth development.

The proposed 3.8-kilometre swim, 180-kilometre cycling and 42.2-kilometre run would form the physical core of the initiative, while its broader objective is to promote youth participation in sports and raise awareness of mental wellbeing.

Akinrodoye expressed optimism that with the support of government, the private sector and other stakeholders, Project 226 could evolve into 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.