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Watch: Syrian Olympic star swimmer Yusra urges people to give refugees a 'chance'

The 24-year-old, who competed at the 2016 and 2020 summer Olympics as part of the Refugee Olympics Team, has become a beacon of hope and face of refugees after her truly inspirational journey

Published: Wed 14 Jun 2023, 4:59 PM

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From diving into the icy cold waters to push a boat full of refugees to safety with her bare hands, and landing in a country where she knew no one, to becoming an Olympic swimmer and voice for refugees Yusra Mardini feels like her life has come a full circle.

The youngster was at the Sharjah International Award for Refugee Advocacy and Support (SIARA) explaining why refugees need to be given a chance. “Just because you are a refugee does not mean you cannot use your skill,” she said, speaking to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the event.

“People often forget that refugees are not just a number on a paper. They are real people, and they have their own ambitions and dreams. They have their own stories that show their courage.”

The 24-year-old, who competed at the 2016 and 2020 summer Olympics as part of the Refugee Olympics Team, has become a beacon of hope and face of refugees after her truly inspirational journey.

The SIARA honours individuals and initiatives that have provided exceptional services to refugees and forcibly displaced persons. This year, the agency Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB) was awarded for its work in securing job opportunities for refugees.

Unbelievable Story

While introducing Yusra at the event, the MC described her story as truly “unbelievable.”

Addressing the crowd at the event, in Arabic, Yusra recalled her heartbreak at watching her dreams crumble in front of her eyes when the war happened. “When I was 9 years old, I dreamt of competing in the Olympics and I trained day and night,” she said. “All my aspirations vanished in front of my eyes as the war dragged on. My sister and I were forced to flee to Europe on our own.”

According to Yusra, her journey lasted 25 days. When the overcrowded vessel she was travelling in started to sink, Yusra, her sister Sarah and two others jumped into the water and pulled the dinghy to the safety. The sisters then travelled through Europe before settling in Germany.

“The hardest part about being a refugee is starting from scratch,” she said. “You don’t know anyone there. Sometimes you don’t know the language either. You don’t know anything, and you slowly have to build the support group. It is a long and hard process.”

Thankful

Despite her arduous journey, Yusra said she was thankful for even the hardest experiences of her life. “I am really proud and happy about how all the moments in my life — even the hard parts because that is what made me strong,” she said. “It made me tough enough to face the challenges in life.”

Yusra said that although swimming was her only dream when leaving Syria, she now has a new dream. “To become the voice of refugees,” she said. “I have been lucky enough to tell at least some of the stories of refugees. I want to continue doing it. There needs to be more organisations like TBB that help refugees.“

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