Abu Dhabi: “The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part; the important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle.”
The words of the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, are especially resonant for one courageous competitor at the Rio extravaganza – Yusra Mardini.
For the 18-year-old Syrian swimmer has already endured her greatest struggle – a swim for her life last year after escaping her war-torn country – meaning just taking part in the world’s greatest sporting showpiece is a triumph in itself.
Mardini is part of the 10-strong Refugee Olympic Team (ROT) – the first of its kind to compete at the Games – along with fellow Syrian swimmer Rami Anis and eight Africans.
“Personally, a dream will come true,” Mardini, who will compete in the women’s 200m freestyle heats on Monday, says. “But I know what the meaning of the Refugee Olympic Team is. We want to send a message of hope to all refugees in the world. My message at these Games is: ‘Just never give up.’
“And we want to show the world that we are normal people, who are doing sport like everyone else at the Olympics.”
The Damascus-born Mardini learnt to swim as soon as she began to walk. Surrounded by a family of swimmers, she fell in love with the sport at an early age. It was to prove a life-saving labour of love.
Two years ago, she and her family fled their home as the civil war intensified. Her house had come under fire and the roof of the swimming pool where she trained was ripped open by bombs.
The Mardinis would travel to Beirut, Istanbul and then to the coastal Turkish town of Izmir, where they were lucky enough to board a boat headed for the Greek island of Lesbos last August.
The boat was in fact a dinghy and, as was the case with most vessels carrying immigrants, hugely overcrowded. After one hour, the dinghy broke down and Mardini, along with her sister Sarah and one other passenger, swam the remainder of the treacherous journey, dragging the boat to the shore with all their might. Mardini literally had to swim for her life – for three and a half hours in freezing water.
The indomitable refugees made it to Greece, though, and then embarked on another gruelling 1,000-mile journey to Berlin, Germany, their destination of choice, by foot, bus and train.
Mardini joined Berlin’s Wasserfreunde Spandau 04 swimming club last September, where she started training with coach Sven Spannekrebs. Their goal was for Mardini to be in contention to compete at the 2020 Olympic Games, however her progression was faster than expected and she made the qualifying times to compete in the 200-metre freestyle competition in Rio.
Few athletes at the Games will possess as iron a will as Mardini given the adversity she has overcome.
“The experiences will never let me forget where I am from. What happened the last few months of my life is an example that everyone can reach their goals, you just have to fight for it.”
Rather than being cowed by the prospect of making history with her fellow refugees, Mardini happily embraces the responsibility of being a beacon of hope for others like her.
“It is the first time that this team is taking part at the Olympics,” she adds. “We all hope that it will be the last time, because the refugee crisis will end. But everyone can imagine that it will be difficult to change the world in four years. So, it is special.
“We are born in different countries, we left our homeland and we are now part of a team that will represent millions of refugees from all over the world.”
*To read more about Yusra’s inspiring story and other examples of sporting bravery, please visit www.laureus.com/realheroes.
