Syrian Yusra Mardini escaped civil war and became the face of Olympic refugees.

Yusra Mardini began swimming at the budding age of 3 in her birth country, Syria. As she grew older, she continued to pursue her swimming career with the Syrian Olympic Committee, hoping to one day fulfill her dream of competing for her country in the Olympics. Outside of the pool, however, a pressing issue loomed over Mardini’s promising athletic career: a civil war in Syria jeopardizing everything she had worked for.  

A peaceful Syrian protest in 2011 initiated an intense civil war. As it progressed, Mardini lost focus during swim practices due to the bomb threats and active bombings during her training. The danger eventually led the Mardini family to leave Syria in August of 2015, shortly after their family home was destroyed. The Mardinis embarked on a 25-day journey to Germany, crossing the Aegean Sea and seven countries along the way. 

During that time, Mardini’s swimming career and life as a refugee merged in one defining moment. While crossing the Aegean Sea on the way to Greece, the boat the Mardinis were on stopped working. In the midst of the chaos, Yusra and her sister, Sara, boldly jumped out of the boat and began to push the vessel to shore. The Mardinis successfully delivered the boat to shore, saving the 18 other passengers on board. Yusra was just 17 years old. 

Mardini began training again in Germany, the country her family settled in. This time, she swam with a greater purpose: making a name for herself at the Olympics and bringing awareness to refugees at the same time. Her hard work paid off, as Mardini was selected to compete with the 2016 Refugee Olympic Team. This team was the first of its kind, allowing refugee athletes to compete together rather than for a specific country. Representing a cause she was passionate about, Mardini traveled to Brazil to swim in the 2016 Rio Olympics and share her story with the world. She competed in the 100-meter butterfly event, as well as the 100-meter freestyle. 

After her story received positive press at the Olympics, Mardini began using her voice to represent refugees both in and out of the pool. In April of 2017, the UN Refugee Agency dubbed Mardini a Goodwill Ambassador, making her the youngest UNHCR ambassador at the age of 19. Since then, she has used her life story to represent refugees on a global scale. Mardini shares her triumphant tale at conferences, schools and through her social media, allowing people to understand the trials that come with civil war, displacement and personal growth. Mardini also attended the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she was given the honor of being the flag bearer for the Refugee Olympic Team. She continues to train in Berlin, Germany, where she is making a name for not only herself, but refugees everywhere who are looking for a new beginning, just as Mardini once was.

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Ellie is a senior at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, studying English literature. She is the Chief Online Editor and Chief Art Editor for undergraduate literary and art magazine, The Tower. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry, reading anything by Shakespeare, and fulfilling her passion for traveling through a variety of spontaneous trips.