FIU student competes for Team Senegal in the Paris 2024 Olympics, finishes strong (includes video story)

Oumy Diop, 22, is an FIU student who competed as an Olympian for Senegal in the Paris games 2024. 

Diop qualified for the summer Olympics in Paris to compete in the 100m Butterfly. Diop was born in France so the games have bridged her birthplace and heritage through swimming. 

“My parents arrived from Senegal” said Diop,“to France to complete their studies,” 

Diop’s parents have always been there to support their daughter in her athletic endeavors, ever since she was a little girl. 

“I went to elementary school in France where around the fourth grade we learned how to swim,” said Diop. “One day my mom came to see us, on that day she discovered I was having a lot of fun in the pool!”

For Diop’s parents, it was no surprise their daughter took to swimming. The family comes from a tribe called Lebou [pronounced LEE-BOO], which is concentrated near the coastal part of the country by the sea where villagers are fishermen, seamen or boaters by trade.

There are around 10 different tribes in Senegal, each with A unique dialect. Diop speaks the main dialect spoken in the capital which is Wolof [pronounced WOLE-OFF].

 What is Senegal like for those who have never visited?

“Senegal is a very welcoming country,” said Diop, “It’s called the country of the Teraanga [pronounced Ter-wrong-ga] which means the country of hospitality. We are loving and welcoming towards people so for me it gives me a sense of safety and belonging.”

Diop notes that there are not a lot of pools in Senegal.

“The lack of accessible pools is an issue; how can someone learn how to swim if they don’t have a pool?” she asks. “Senegal is a coastal region surrounded by the seas so it’s dangerous to get out there if you haven’t learned to swim.”

Gender disparities have been pervasive in athletic competitions around the world Senegal seems to be no different.

“For sure in my country, I know the male side has been more represented,” said Diop. “I feel like I am a part of something bigger by introducing a new wave. I hope that other women in my country will come and see to be a part of that wave.”

Diop decided to move to Miami for swimming after being recruited by Coach Brien Moffitt who is the associate coach for swimming and diving. After Moffitt discovered Diop through recruiting databases, he knew she had what it takes for the team and so much more. 

Diop is a double major pursuing Liberal Studies and Natural/Applied Science. Diop’s end goal is to go into medical field and possibly become a nurse. 

This transition did not come easy. One of the biggest challenges was the language barrier.

“In school back in France I learned basic English like naming parts of a house and objects,” said Diop, “The English I learned in France did not prepare me for the conversational style everyone uses in their day to day in America,” added Diop, “I went from being fluent in French to now having to study and take classes in a totally different language.”

“In the beginning during my first month,” said Diop, “I’d become fatigued every day after my first classes, while during class it was super hard to focus. I had difficulty understanding what the professor was saying.”

Diop’s challenges aren’t unique, especially at FIU which is home to many first-generation immigrants. 

Diop’s time at FIU has not always been easy between training and studying. The pool here is shorter, and the climate is less temperate. 

“The temperature didn’t help,” said Diop, “Since I was coming from a region in the mountains known for being cold to one of intense heat and humidity.”

In her freshman year Diop took third place in the 50-fly at the CSCAA National Invitational Championship. She helped FIU score 223 at the AAC Championship after swimming on two relays that came in first while finishing fourth in the 100m fly. 

This is Diop’s first Olympics. She finished twenty-seventh of 32 competitors in the hundred meter butterfly.

“For me it was obvious to represent Senegal,” said Diop, “I fell in love with the country, I fell in love with the culture. It’s my parent’s homeland and the first nationality I received.”

Stanley Beaubrun is a senior whose interests include traveling, going to the beach, and reading books. After graduation he  hopes to work in television and radio.