No matter what happens in Rio during the Olympics, Yursa Mardini is already a winner in our eyes. The Syrian refugee is competing in the Oylmpics under the International Olympic Committee flag and brings with her quite the story of heroism. She’s also proving to be worthy of competing in the Olympics after winning her first swimming heat.
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Mardini, 19 years old and currently residing in Germany, took first place in a 100-meter women’s butterfly heat in Rio, keeping her dream of medaling in the Olympics alive for at least a little bit longer. She is scheduled to also competing in the freestyle event, which begins on Wednesday.
Mardini may or may not return to Germany with some Olympic hardware, but she is already a gold medalist for life in the eyes of 18 fellow refugees from Syria. With her sister’s help, Mardini helped swim 18 refugees to safety last year when a boat they were traveling in had its motor broke down. Mardinia and her sister, Sarah, as well as two others jumped in the water to help prevent their boat from capsizing. The two stayed in the water for three hours until finally reaching their destination in Lesbos.
“We were the only four who knew how to swim,” she said of the experience. “I had one hand with the rope attached to the boat as I moved my two legs and one arm. It was three and half hours in cold water. Your body is almost like … done. I don’t know if I can describe that.”
“I remember that without swimming I would never be alive maybe because of the story of this boat. It’s a positive memory for me.”
Here’s hoping for a few more positive memories for Mardini down in Rio.