\n<\/p>\n
Still, Okaro knows that when she splashes into the water at the Olympic Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis, located in the northern suburbs of the French capital, she will have the power to influence future generations of athletes back home.<\/p>\n
“I really enjoy inspiring the younger athletes in general, but mainly young black swimmers just to know that they can do whatever they want to do,” she said.<\/p>\n
Okaro grew up near Maidstone, in Kent, and counts her twin sister Izabella as her first rival in the pool.<\/p>\n
She competed for clubs in Gillingham and Sevenoaks in the South East before relocating to Derbyshire where she boards and trains at Repton School.<\/p>\n
As someone who has her A-levels to prepare for next year, selection for the Olympics and the history that beckons has been a lot to absorb.<\/p>\n
She added: “Obviously it’s exciting, but I don’t think it has really dawned on me yet.<\/p>\n
“I think it will really hit me when I’m behind the blocks about to swim and think ‘Oh wow, this is the Olympics’. It just hasn’t hit me yet.”<\/p>\n
As the youngest member of Team GB’s 33-strong swimming squad, Okaro sees the Games as one of a number she may reach in years to come.<\/p>\n
But she doesn’t see her age and inexperience as reasons not to perform on her debut.<\/p>\n
“I think being youngest on the team does give me that leeway in a sense, but at the same time I don\u2019t want to be the slowest on the relay team,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I don\u2019t want to put myself in a position where I don\u2019t perform at my best just because of my age or anything like that.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n