She now lives and trains in Germany, and, competing for the stateless refugee Olympic team, she won her heat of the 100-meter women’s butterfly Saturday, in Rio de Janeiro.
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Whether she lands the best time in her heat again remains to be seen, but she already has the best story at the Olympics so far. She will compete in her second individual event on Wednesday when she swims the women’s 100-meter freestyle.
“I had a good feeling in the water so I’m happy for that”.
“I extend my greetings and wish you success at the Olympic Games in Rio – that your courage and strength find expression through the Olympic Games and serve as a cry for peace and solidarity. Competing with all of these great champions is exciting”.
The Refugee Olympic Team is composed of five athletes from South Sudan, two from Syria, two from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and one from Ethiopia.
He added further that the refugee team will be a symbol of hope for other refugees across the world and also to act as a signal to the worldwide community that they are our fellow human beings.
Athletes from war-torn countries have, and will, participate in the Olympic Games as independent athletes, but the IOC made a decision to form a team of refugees as much to send a message and make a political statement as it did to support athletes who struggle for even the simplest opportunities after fleeing their home countries. It is one of the few things the International Olympic Committee is being complimented for after controversies large and small dominated the run-up to Friday’s Opening Ceremonies in Rio.
It was easy to understand why after listening to the 10 athletes talk, just briefly, about what they had sacrificed and endured, simply to be able to stand on a start block in Rio. But with her home destroyed in the ongoing conflict, she and her sister chose to flee the country in August previous year.
Eventually, the girls made it to their final destination, Germany, where they have been granted temporary asylum. “But I’m pleased”, she said.
“We were the only four who knew how to swim”.
She attended Friday’s Opening Ceremony, but didn’t stay for the end because she wanted to be ready for her race. That’s when Mardini dove into the water and helped get the boat to reach the Greek shores, literally swimming for her life.
Despite living in Syria after the outbreak of civil war, the talented swimmer kept following her dreams while in Damascus as she trained professionally with the Syrian Olympic Committee despite heavy bombings on her city.
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“I thought it would be a real shame if I drowned in the sea, because I am a swimmer”, is how she summed up the nightmare to reporters earlier this year.
