She once swam for Uganda and came close to an Olympic dream that never materialised. Now, former national team swimmer Pumla Nabachwa is preparing to cheer on her son, Trey Rugamba Gateja, as he takes his first steps onto the Olympic stage at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

When Trey Rugamba Gateja runs onto the rugby pitch in Uganda’s national colours in Dakar, Senegal, he will be chasing a dream of his own. But somewhere in the stands, cheering him on, will be a mother whose sporting journey took a different path, one that makes this moment particularly special.

Pumla Nabachwa knows what it means to represent Uganda. She once wore the national colours as a swimmer but didn’t go as far as the Olympics; however, her connection to sport never ended. Today, she continues to compete in invitational masters swimming galas around the country.

Now, it is her son’s turn to experience the excitement of international competition at the highest level of youth sport. For Nabachwa, Gateja’s qualification for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games is more than a proud parental moment. It is an opportunity to experience the Olympic dream from a different perspective, celebrating a milestone she once hoped to achieve herself.

“I represented the Uganda national swimming team, but I did not make it to the Olympics. I actually went for the qualifiers, but I did not make the cut,” she says.

“To hear that my son is now qualifying for an Olympics, the Youth Olympics, I had no choice but to just support him. I feel so elated, motivated, happy and excited for him because this is a dream come true.”

The occasion has brought together two sporting journeys, one shaped by the pool and the other by the rugby pitch. Yet, before the excitement of Dakar, there was a time when Nabachwa struggled to watch her son play the sport he loved.

Gateja began playing rugby four years ago, but his decision to take up the physically demanding sport did not immediately win his mother’s approval.

As her only child and only son, he occupies a special place in her heart. Watching him venture into a game involving tackles, collisions and physical battles was frightening, and Nabachwa admits that her maternal instincts initially made it difficult to let him go.

“Initially, it was so terrifying, I must be honest,” she recalls. She describes the relationship between a mother and her son as one that can be difficult to loosen as children grow older and seek independence.

“Boys want to do their own things; they’re aggressive; they want to be independent; they move on, but for us moms, we kind of keep them on a leash. The umbilical cord is difficult to sever.”

The fear was so intense that attending matches became an emotional ordeal. Nabachwa would leave games in tears, unable to cope with seeing her son exposed to the physical demands of rugby.

Eventually, she withdrew from watching altogether.

But while his mother struggled to come to terms with the sport, Gateja was falling more deeply in love with it. He was passionate, determined and unwilling to abandon something that had become an important part of his life.

Then came the conversation that changed everything.

“There was a time I actually withdrew myself from the game because my heart couldn’t take it,” Nabachwa says. “Then, after some time, I remember he came to me and said, ‘You know what, Mom, this is my real passion. I really love the game of rugby.’”

Faced with her son’s determination, Nabachwa decided she needed to approach things differently. Rather than allowing fear to keep her away, she chose to support him.

She put on what she calls her “big mom pants” and returned to the touchline two years ago. What she discovered changed her perception of rugby. Beyond the physical contests, she began to see a sport that was shaping her son in ways she had not fully appreciated.

She noticed greater discipline, kindness, attention to detail and an ability to think before acting. She also admired the tactical side of the game and how the players worked together.

“I even regretted what I missed out on before because I could see what the game was doing to him,” she says. “It was mostly all positive. His discipline, his kindness, his attention to detail, the way he thinks before he acts, his strategy game is just so on point. And this has carried through to all his other aspects.

Nabachwa’s return to the touchline did not stop at supporting Gateja. As she became more involved in the rugby community, her affection extended to his teammates, whom she now regards as her own children.

She sees in them a group of young men learning the value of teamwork, commitment and togetherness, qualities she believes can inspire others beyond sport.

“It’s not just my son. I literally became a mother to the team because I saw how inspiring they would be for other young men out there,” she says. “So now, for me, I’m just a rugby mom, and I’m so proud to be a rugby mom.”

Her presence has also become an important source of motivation for Gateja. Knowing that his mother is watching gives him an added reason to remain disciplined and conduct himself well on the pitch.

Asked what her support means to his game, the young player offers a candid response. “Of course, it restricts me from being a very bad person on the pitch. It makes me more disciplined, I can say. It makes me more motivated.”

For Gateja, the commitment involved in showing up to watch him play is something he does not take lightly. “Because if someone comes to watch you, they have hope in you. You shouldn’t let anyone down,” he says.

He also recognises that his mother’s influence stretches beyond their family. “Except being my mother, she’s a mother to the team, so it makes the team play better as well.”

Now 17, Gateja is preparing to take that journey onto the international stage at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. A student at St Mary’s College Kisubi, he is a flyhalf and centre.

For a young player, the opportunity to represent Uganda at the Youth Olympic Games is a significant milestone. Gateja understands it is also a chance to be part of a team seeking to inspire a generation of young Ugandans.

“I feel very honoured, very humbled to be part of the team that is going to make history,” he says. “I just want to show and inspire and give hope to the 50 million people that live in the Pearl of Africa.”

The occasion comes with expectations, particularly given the standing of Uganda’s senior rugby sevens teams and the confidence generated by the team’s recent Safari Sevens triumph.

Gateja understands that wearing the national colours comes with pressure. However, he sees that pressure as something to embrace rather than fear.

“It obviously gives me pressure, but it’s positive pressure. I believe pressure is a privilege. If you don’t get pressure, you’re not doing it right; there’s something wrong,” he says.

His approach reflects a young athlete eager to test himself against strong opposition while making the most of an opportunity that not every player gets.

For him, Dakar is not simply about participating. It is about giving Ugandans a reason to believe in their young athletes and demonstrating what can be achieved through commitment and hard work.

Nabachwa’s support comes from more than the natural instinct of a proud parent. Having competed for Uganda herself, she understands the sacrifices, expectations and emotions that accompany an athlete’s journey.

And while she acknowledges the quality of the opposition awaiting Uganda in Dakar, she believes the young rugby players are ready to give their best.

“I know there are really, really good teams out there that they are going to face, but I know that they are going to put up a great fight,” she says.

“I know they are going to do Uganda proud. I know they are going to come back having represented the Pearl of Africa in every way possible.”

Her excitement is unmistakable. She speaks not only as a mother whose son has reached an important milestone, but also as a former athlete who understands the privilege of representing one’s country.

For her, simply being able to share this moment with Gateja and celebrate his achievement is deeply fulfilling.

“I wish them all the best,” she says. “I’m just so excited, I’m so happy for the team.”

As Gateja prepares for Dakar, he carries the hopes of his family, his teammates and the wider Ugandan sporting community. His mother will be cheering him on, having moved from fear and uncertainty to wholehearted belief in his ability.

The journey from a mother unable to watch a rugby match without tears to one proudly celebrating her son’s Olympic qualification has been a remarkable one.

And perhaps that is what makes their story bigger than the Games themselves.

For Pumla Nabachwa and Trey Rugamba Gateja, Dakar represents more than a sporting destination. It is a story of ambition passed between generations, a mother’s faith in her son’s dreams and a young athlete determined to make his country proud.

And as Gateja steps onto the pitch in Uganda’s colours, he will know that among those cheering him on is a mother who once feared the game but now believes in everything it has helped him become.