While every athlete at the Olympic Games has an interesting story, Yusra Mardani, who is in Rio to represent a team of 10 refugees, has a very special one.
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Thirty minutes after setting off from Turkey, the motor on their boat, which was meant for six people but carrying 20, began to fail. “But this summer, the athletes are getting a chance to do something they love: They are competing in the Summer Olympics as the Refugee Olympic Team!”. This will be a symbol of hope for all the refugees in our world, and will make the world better aware of the magnitude of this crisis.
“Everything was unbelievable”, said Mardini, now based in Germany.
“It’s absolutely an honor for me to be here”, Mardini told a press conference Saturday.
One of the highlights of Friday night’s Opening Ceeremony at the Olympics figures to be the entrance of the first-ever Olympic Refugee team. Competing with all these great champions is exciting.
‘I had a good feeling in the water so I’m happy for that, ‘ she added.
“I know you have had very sad, awful stories and experiences, but you are a source of inspiration for all of us”. Instead, swimming under the letters ROT, which stand for Refugee Olympic Team, Mardini wore a white cap with the Olympic rings on it and a grey uniform that bore no country name or logo. At some point you have to move on. We motivate ourselves because there is a lot of people who (expect) a lot from us. “They remind us that refugees are people just like you and me, people who want to achieve their full potential against all odds”.
Their message to the world will really motivate and inspire people around the world to send a helping hand, the United Nations chief said.
“Refugees are normal humans who had homelands and lost (them), not because they wanted to, not because they wanted to be refugees or wanted to have drama in their lives”, Mardini said. Life in their countries was not safe for them.
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Anis competed at the world championships in 2009 and 2011. “I said, ‘Shut up now – leave me alone now'”.
