The Refugee Who Swam from Turkey to Greece Made It to Rio

Remember Yusra Mardini? The Syrian refugee who fled the civil war at home in Damascus, stumbled through refugee camps in Lebanon, arrived at Turkey and swam for her life, and for others’, from Turkey to Greece.

Mardini’s voyage in the Aegean Sea was not a typical one; she, among other brave ones, jumped from the rubber boat into the water when they realized that unless they do that, they will all drown. So they pushed the boat against the treacherous currents until they reached a Greek Island of Lesbos, after three hours and a half of swimming.

Now based in Germany, Mardini has made it to this year’s Olympics as part of the refugee team that includes 10 athletes from  Syria, South Sudan, Congo and Ethiopia.

WE SAID THIS: You can do it, Yusra!