Although she competed at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she won individual bronze on home soil, Barbelin never had the opportunity to experience the Youth Olympic Games herself due to age eligibility.
That unique perspective is one of the reasons she is looking forward to Dakar.
“I’ve already lived through two Olympic Games and I think there’s nothing more beautiful,” she said. “I’m looking forward to experiencing this event.”
The allocation of 64 archery quota places for Dakar 2026 means dozens of young athletes are now one step closer to competing at the first Olympic event ever held on African soil. As National Olympic Committees prepare to select their teams, Barbelin hopes to offer guidance that extends beyond competition results.
Her main piece of advice is simple.
“Believe in your dreams, even if people tell you they’re too big,” she said. “Nothing is too big or too ambitious if you give yourself the means to achieve it.”
Just as importantly, she wants athletes to understand that setbacks are a normal part of any sporting journey.
Looking back on her own career, Barbelin said she wished she had learned earlier that difficult periods are not failures but opportunities to grow.
“I would have liked to know that the lows are part of the game,” she said. “Going through a difficult period isn’t the end. What matters is bouncing back and finding solutions. It’s when you make that effort that you become better.”
