Syrian Refugee Swam To Greece To Save Her Life, Now An Olympic Aspirant

Saturday, April 02 2016, 01:46:13

Ayushi Agarwal

JWB Blogger

Syrian Refugee Swam To Greece To Save Her Life, Now An Olympic Aspirant

JWB Post

March 28, 2016

A couple of months ago, she swam for her life. Today, she’s trying to use her swimming skills to make a splash at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Meet Yusra Mardini, an 18-year-old Syrian refugee who fled Damascus with her sister last year on a boat. However, tragedy struck that hopeful motor boat carrying 20 refugees when it stopped working in the middle of the sea. Saltwater started filling up the boat and they were on the verge of drowning when a trio jumped in the water and pushed it to Greek land. Mardini was one of them.

“We were [swimming] in the water for three-and-a-half hours until we got to Greece. It was really horrible,” Mardini told the outlet. “I couldn’t see anything, I wear glasses. The trip was a straight line. We could see the island, but never reach it.”

After 25 days of travel, which included a six-hour trek through a cornfield and even running away after getting arrested by Serbian police, she made it to Berlin with her sister, where she reunited with her family, TakePart reported.

Mardini and her family found refuge in Germany, finally.

Mardini, along with 43 others, has been vying for a spot on the Refugee Olympic Athletes team, which was created by the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee in early March. Ultimately, there will only be about five to 10 places on the team available, the release noted.

“I want to show everybody that it’s hard to arrive at your dreams but it’s not impossible,” Mardini, who wants to compete in the 200-meter freestyle event, said in a statement. “You can do it; everyone can do it if I can do it, any athlete can do it.”

In about two months, the swimmer will find out if she’s made the team. For now, she has more work to do. In order to meet the B standard of the International Swimming Federation and possibly qualify for the Games, she faces the task of cutting her personal best time down by a few seconds, TakePart reported.

“I think even if I fail I will try again,” she said in the press release. “Maybe I will be sad but I will not show it, but I will try again and again until I get it.”