Yusra Mardini may be swimming for a gold medal in the 2016 Olympic Games, but just last year, she was swimming for her life.
The 18-year-old, who is part of the 10-person Refugee Olympic Team, fled war torn Syria by boat with her sister after their family became homeless.
During their pilgrimage to the Greek Island of Lesbos in 2015, the boat’s motor stopped. As longtime competitive swimmers, Mardini and her sister, along with a few others, jumped in the water and pushed the boat to shore. It took them three hours, but all 20 refugees made it safely to Europe.
Eventually, Mardini and her sister worked their way to Berlin, where they lived in a refugee camp, reunited with their father, and joined a local swimming club.
That’s where Mardini was able to qualify and train for Rio. Let’s get to know this unbelievable story even better.
Mardini’s first event is the 100m butterfly on Aug. 6.
