In the midst of the roar of the sea, Yusra could hear the sound of prayers coming from the boat. The boat's engine is off. The young Afghan is desperately trying to turn it on. The lifeless boat is floating alone in the Mediterranean Sea with many helpless souls and surrendering to every wave. Every time the waves hit, the sound of prayer became louder and louder.
Usra is swimming by tightening the rope on the side of the boat. Next to her older sister Sarah told her to go back to the boat. But Yusra is not listening to him. As soon as he looked at the boat, he saw the face of the child Mustafa among the people praying. She is smiling. The whole thing may seem like a fun game to him. Because he doesn't know how many lives this sea has taken. How many people have given up one war and fought another war against this sea for hours for a safe life.
When the boat's engine suddenly stopped in the midst of this ruthless sea, User thought he might have to suffer the same fate as them. Seeing that the boat could not carry the load of so many people for long, Muhannad and Sarah went down into the water. The purpose is the same, to keep the boat as light as possible. Seeing the terrified faces of the people praying in the boat, Yusra realized that it was not necessary to sit like a coward, he was also a swimmer like his sister. He also has to do something. So he jumped into the water, ignoring his sister's prohibition and bloodshot eyes.
Another wave, a more intense howl. The matter seemed like a terrible nightmare to User. But at one point the nightmare also came to an end. He tightened the rope tightly. He realizes that he will never be able to forgive himself if he harms a man on the boat. He is a swimmer, so there is no way to give up today.
Yusra and Sarah Mardini; Image Source: GENE GLOVER
Before this adventurous experience in the Mediterranean in 2015, Yusra Mardini was an ordinary Syrian teenager. Like everyone else, he spent his busy days at school, laughing and chatting with friends. The Syrian sky was free then, the roads were safe. On March 5, 1997, Izzat and Marvat Mardini gave birth to their second child, Yusra Mardini, in the small town of Set Zainab in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Although he was born in Zainab, he grew up in Daraya.
Usra's childhood photos; Image Source: Yusra Mardini
The swimmer was born into a family, so there was no need for Usara to be separated from swimming. His father, Izzat Mardini, played for the Syrian national team before joining the military. He later returned to the swimming pool as a swimming coach. Four-year-old Yusra and her older sister Sarah, seven, join their father in swimming training. Izzat dreamed that his children would become the best swimmers in the world, or even the best of the best. Izzat was ready to do whatever was necessary to fulfill that dream. That's why he was very strict about training girls. It's not that little Yusra didn't try to fool his father. But he did not succeed.
Two sisters with father Izzat Mardini; Image source: Clemens Bilan / picture alliance via Getty Images
Izzat Mardini's instruction is to call him father at home but call him coach in the pool. But in reality he was always their coach. Whether pool or home, training never stopped. Even on holidays, I used to practice with an elastic band, sometimes in front of the TV. Whether it was the Champions League, Wimbledon or the Olympics, Izzat would sit in front of the TV with his daughters and show them the different strategies of the athletes.
The two sisters sat with their father during the men's 100m butterfly final at the 2004 Athens Olympics. On that day, Phelps was behind in the beginning, but at the very last moment, he surprised everyone by winning with a gap of only 0.04 seconds and snatched the gold from the native crooker. Earlier, Usra had no desire to swim. He wanted to be a pilot. But in celebrating this victory of Phelps, he realizes that so much hard work or sacrifice is nothing compared to the joy of this victory. His whole body and mind woke up with a new stimulus, he will also be a swimmer, he will also win the Olympics.
The training of professional swimmers started as soon as they were admitted to the school. Which means going straight to the swimming pool every day after school holidays and two hours of continuous training there. After a busy day at school, Usra sometimes did not want to go to the swimming pool again. But that desire was worthless in the eyes of his father. Although the fruits of hard work are slowly coming. Usra took a place in the Syrian youth team, and twelve-year-old Sarah Pan got a chance in the national team at the Arab Games. There, Sarah and her team won silver in the relay, bringing Syria fifth in the medal tally. After returning home, President Bashar al-Assad met with the medalists, of whom Sarah was the youngest. But Izzat is not entirely satisfied with this success. According to him, they have to be the best of all, their dream is to win the Olympics. He believes that the athlete's dream is not the Olympics, He is not an athlete. Inspired by their father's words, the two sisters started dreaming of winning the Olympics. But that dream is a cruel reality.
As soon as the TV was turned on, the only news was the civil war in Libya and the loss of life in it. At the beginning of 2011, Tunisia, after Egypt, this time Libya, an unknown panic filled Usra's mind. But his father used to say with fear that nothing would happen in Syria. Syria is calm, every man is happy with his life, why do that?
But Syria did not take long to become restless. The movement began, which at one point took the form of shelling and explosions. Gradually life became impossible. Just panic in the air. Because if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, you may lose your life. In the midst of all this, Yusra continues to walk on the road to fulfill her dream. From forgetting everything to concentrating on swimming. Through hard work, he took place in the 'Children of Asia Games' of that year. In those games held in Russia, Yusra and his team won bronze in the 100 and 200 meter relays. But for the first time, the joy of winning a medal in an international event faded as soon as he returned to the country.
After the government deployed paramilitary forces in Daraa in 2012, fighting with rebels ravaged the entire city, killing hundreds of people. Once the rebels mistakenly took Izzat Mardini away, he survived for a short time. The situation was so bad that they had to leave everything and move to Damascus.
I never got back to our house. I heard that it was completely destroyed in the war. It is amazing to think that all the pictures of our childhood, toys, small clothes made by mother's hand, all the memories of our childhood have been buried in the rubble.
Daraya, devastated by the conflict; image source: Syria call
One, two, four years passed, but the war did not stop. No one knows how many people are losing their lives in the conflict, where the United Nations stopped taking death toll in 2014. Two swimmers from Usra's team and a footballer he knew were killed in the bombing. The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a swimming pool in Damascus. Life becomes completely uncertain. When he left the house, he would say goodbye to everyone as if this was their last meeting. Meanwhile, Izzat Mardini went to work for Jordan as a swimming coach. Usra could not rejuvenate as before as her father was not there. So at one point he gave up swimming.
Gradually, Yusra and Sara realized that being in the midst of this war and uncertainty meant throwing away life and the future. They both won international medals for Syria. In other words, if they get a chance, they will be able to show something bigger. But it will never be possible in the midst of this war. Dubon decides that they will no longer be in this mortuary. Their friends and neighbors were all moving to other countries one by one. Many of their peers have sought refuge in various European countries. Austria and Germany in particular are sheltering many Syrian refugees. Sarah-Yusra decided they would go to Germany. They both know that this journey is not easy at all. But without it there is no way to survive freely.
I might die before I reach Germany. But I am dying in my own country. I can do anything now.
Their father did not agree with this decision at first. Eventually, two of their relatives, Nabih-Majed, agreed to send the girls with them, who would go the same route to Germany. With them, on August 12, 2015, Yusra and Sarah said goodbye to their mother and younger sister Shahed with tears in their eyes and left for Lebanon. They teach parents how to find out their location via GPS if they can't communicate. After moving from Lebanon to Turkey, they will follow the same path that 4 million people like them have tried to leave Syria for Europe.
This is the route taken by Yusra and Sarah to Germany; Image source: BBC
After Turkey, they will have to cross the Aegean Sea to reach Myitlin, the capital of Lesbos, without the help of the Greek coastguards. That's why they contacted a smuggler in Istanbul. The smugglers bring them to the town of Izmir, where they meet Muhannad, Khalil, Mustafa, Idris and many other refugees whose destination is Germany. Waiting for the right time to cross the sea, they had to stay in the forest near the beach in Turkey for four days, eating only chocolate except food.
Finally, on the fifth day, the smugglers took everyone in a small boat to Lesbos. The sun is setting in the west when the young Afghan man in charge of the boat starts the engine. According to USRA, there are 22 passengers in the boat, where it is dangerous to carry more than 10 people. This means that the boat is not used to carrying so many people. The destination is not far, only 45 minutes away. But the engine stopped suddenly after 20 minutes.
After the engine stopped, the sound of prayer became heavy. Most of the women and children on the boat do not know how to swim. Everyone throws away their bags and shoes so that the boat is a little lighter. But it did not work. Seeing no other way at the end, Muhannad grabbed the rope on the side of the boat and fell into the sea. When I saw her, Sarah fell down. This makes the boat a little lighter but not enough. Usara looked around and saw panic on everyone's face. Everyone is remembering the Creator by embracing their loved ones. This boat can sink at any time due to the waves. But that is not supposed to happen. There are so many ways to live in fear. But now it seems that their life is much more trivial today.
Yusra regained her morale through her sister's courage. There is no point in sitting and crying like a baby where he is a swimmer. So he stood on his chest and looked at the sea for a moment. There is some fear because Usra has never swum in such water before. Seeing him get up, Sarah rebuked him and told him to sit quietly in the boat. But he did not listen to his sister's threat and jumped into the sea.
Usra realized there was a big difference between swimming in calm water in a swimming pool and swimming against the waves. He has to fight with every wave. He is irritated due to salt water which makes him unable to keep his eyes open for a long time. Even then, in the middle of the waves, the light island was seen in the distance. He feels that the island is moving away as time goes on. It is not too late for the sun to set. No one is swimming except Sarah and Yusra, which is why they can't stay in the water for long. After a while, one gets on the boat, and the other gets into the water instead. But Sarah-Yusra is fighting a relentless wave.
Thus three hours passed. After being in the water for so long, Usra became numb. Now only the rope and the life jacket are keeping him afloat. The same is true of Sarah. Unable to stay, they both came out of the water. Dubon was shivering in the severe winter. After a while, the engine started to surprise everyone. A new hope of survival was instilled in all the frightened. Everyone across the boat was thanking the creator. The boat delivered them to Greek territory without any problems.
Upon arriving in Greece, the U.S. realized that their identity was now that of a refugee and that they were part of a larger 'refugee crisis' in the world today. He did not ignore the fact that many people look at the refugees with a slightly different eye. Some helped them with clothes or shelter while many restaurants refused to sell them food or even water. Usra sees thousands of refugees waiting to enter other European countries like Greece.
Their journey from Greece to Serbia via Macedonia. Then the most difficult path. They have to cross Hungary to go to Germany. Meanwhile, the Hungarian government is against giving shelter to refugees. According to the Hungarian prime minister, the more refugees are granted asylum , the greater the risk of terrorism in the country . That is why they closed the border with Serbia and Croatia. Police have also been deployed as part of extra surveillance to prevent entry into the border. If caught by the police, they may have to go to jail and their dream of going to Germany may end there. So no matter what, you can't be noticed by the police while crossing the border.
Several others, including Sarah-Yusra, met with journalists Lam and Magdalena when they were planning to cross the border. They too become one with the refugees and all of them hide in a field and wait for the right time. The matter seems very insulting to Usra.
I kept my eyes fixed on the ground. I couldn't look at anyone. Because this situation is very humiliating. We are human beings, not animals. But we are hiding like criminals, and the police are chasing us.
Waiting for the right time to hide at the border; Image source: Hein Lam Duc / Agence VU
But did not have to wait long. As soon as they get a chance, everyone runs towards the border and enters the border without any problem. They had two children in the group, one of whom was Sarah, and she had to run on her lap. Entering Hungary with the help of the police is not the end of the problem. They will have to cross the Hungarian border again to reach Austria. Once in Austria, Germany is within reach.
Yusra with other refugees on the border with Serbia and Hungary; Image source: Hein Lam Duc / Agence VU
Once again, the users reached Budapest through the smugglers, handing over large sums of money. There their team broke up. Some decide to cross the border on foot and some through smugglers. Usra's plan was to take a train from Keleti railway station to Austria and go directly to Vienna. But the problem arose when the government closed the Keleti railway station to cope with the pressure of so many refugees. As a result, Usra's team was stranded at the railway station with thousands of German-bound refugees. Although the station was reopened a few days later, it was regularly patrolled by the police. With a lot of risk in keeping their identities secret, they collect tickets and push the train. But this time luck did not help. They were caught by the Hungarian police. Then they had to stay in jail for a whole day which was basically a stable. Their names, Leave them again the next day with pictures and fingerprints. Meanwhile, the Hungarian government has provided some free buses that will transport refugees stranded at Keleti station to the Austrian border. After boarding the bus, they reached Austria, crossing Hungary's painful memories.
Yusra and Sarah at Keleti railway station; Image source: Hein LAm Duc / Agence VU
After arriving in Austria, Yusra saw the complete opposite. People lined the streets with flower banners to invite them. Yusra could not believe that these people wanted to help them. Tears welled up in her eyes with joy. After getting off the bus, the volunteers handed them tea, sandwiches and water bottles and welcomed everyone to their country with a gift of roses. With a rose in her hand, Sarah looks at Usra with a smile on her face, and the panic and anxiety disappears from their faces. They arrived in Germany by train from Austria the next day. That day was September 6. In other words, they were able to reach Germany 25 days after leaving their homeland. They have fought with the sea, with the border, with a sarcastic look at the refugees. Finally, Usra was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Yusra spent six months in a refugee camp in Berlin. There, with the help of an Egyptian translator, Yusra-Sarah finds Wasserfreunde Spandau 04, the oldest swimming club in Berlin. So the two sisters thought let's try it once. Although their pace was not as good as expected, trainer Seven Spancrebus and club head Renette were impressed with their swimming skills. Saven understands that the two sisters have trained well before. He asks Yusra, what is his dream? Yusra responds to the Olympics. Sven was impressed with Usra's morale and he took charge of both. He also helped in collecting all the documents for staying in Germany.
Coach Sven Spancrebs instructs Usra in the pool; Image source: Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images
Sarah could not go far due to shoulder injury. But Usra worked as advised by the new coach Sven. He was away from swimming for two whole years. That's why he had to work to achieve previous fitness. Again the training here is more rigorous than in Syria. So, according to the instructions of the coach, I woke up at six in the morning and jumped into the swimming pool and trained there for two hours, then after the gym in the afternoon, the swimming pool continued like this again. Usra had personal records of swimming in Syria, freestyle, 100m 1:02, 200m 2:12; Butterfly 100m 1:09 min, 800m 10: 05 minutes. But now he is far behind. Saven realized that it was not possible to prepare for the Rio Olympics in this situation. So he continued to prepare Yusra for the Tokyo Olympics. It was during this time that Yusra felt an intense need for her father by her side. So he tried his best to bring his parents to Germany. As a result, the whole family can be one again in a few months.
Yusra Mardini with family in Germany; Image Source: Hein Lam Duc / Agence VU
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach stood at the UN and announced that the IOC would help refugee athletes who are unable to participate in the Olympics because they have left their country. As soon as they heard this, Sven mailed to IOC and informed them about Usra. A few days later, the IOC deputy director told a news conference that the IOC was looking for refugee athletes around the world because they were preparing to form a separate 'Refugee Olympic Team' with refugee athletes for the first time. They have already found three athletes. A Congolese who took refuge in Brazil, an Iranian in Belgium and a Syrian woman who took refuge in Germany! Therefore, Yusra Mardini has got the opportunity to participate in the Rio Olympics.
The dream that Usra has been dreaming of since childhood has finally come true, the Olympics. But Usra is not completely satisfied with it. He proves himself, not going to the Olympics on his own merits. He got the chance to go to the Olympics because he is a refugee. He should go not as a Syrian, but as part of the 'Refugee Olympic Team'. The whole thing seemed a pity to him. But after thinking about it for a while, he began to realize how much hardship and sacrifice he had brought to this foreign country. He saw how many people were running around looking for a safe haven. Yet millions of women, men and small children are spending their days in various refugee camps. Refugees are being deprived of their basic rights. Usra can be their voice. He realized that the Olympics were not just a sporting event. This is a stage. Through which he will be able to inspire refugees in different parts of the world. Will be able to awaken a new desire to survive. Be able to talk about their rights
Usra Mardini with teammates at the opening ceremony of the Olympics; Image Source: Reuters
7 August 2018. The Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro was packed with about 60,000 spectators that day. Whenever the 'Refugee Olympic Team' was announced, the whole stadium greeted them with applause. When Usara entered the stadium wearing a navy blue jacket with golden buttons, he couldn't believe his eyes. He has never seen so many people. With a smile, Yusra waved the small Olympic flag in her hand. IOC President Thomas Bach and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stood to greet them. At this point, Yusra realized that she was no longer alone with the refugees. He and his team represent 60 million refugees worldwide.
Usra participated in the 100 meter butterfly. Duru Duru stood on his chest with the other contestants. 'ROT Mardini' was written in large letters below the Olympic ring on that white cap of the head. With a beep, he jumped into the pool water. Even though he won that hit, it took him 1 minute 9.21 seconds. Usrara did not have to go to the semi-finals as he finished 42nd with this time. But he has no regrets about it. He came to the Olympics to deliver a message, and he succeeded.
Yusra won the hit; Image Source: The Asahi Shimbun / Getty Images
After the Olympics, a new chapter began in Usra's life. Shortly before the end of his Olympic journey, he flew to New York, where he addressed the UN General Assembly at the Leaders Summit on Refugees . It was a completely different experience for him. There he says,
I want to help change people's attitudes towards refugees. Everyone needs to understand that fleeing their country is not an easy decision, and refugees are ordinary people who can prove themselves when given the right opportunity.
Usra Mardini at the UN; Image source: Olympics
At that conference, Usra met with then- US President Barack Obama . Obama praised Usra's courage, saying that Usra had become a shining example to all refugees through his courage, patience and work.
Yusra Mardini talks to Barack Obama, Image source: Pete Souza
That same year, Yusra and Sarah Mardini won the Bambi Awards, the most prestigious awards in German media , as 'Ansang Heroes' . Their father, Izzat Mardini, was present at the award ceremony that day.
Two sisters holding the Bambi Award; Image source:
In January of the following year, Yusra attended the World Economic Forum in Davos as a representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In April, the UNHCR nominated him as Goodwill Ambassador.
Yusra Mardini in Jordan's national refugee camp, Image source: UNHCR
Yusra Mardini's goal now is the Tokyo Olympics. So in addition to rigorous practice, she and her sister Sarah are both working for refugees. He has adopted the word refugee since the Rio Olympics. The word is no longer an insult to him. This is his identity until he returns to his homeland. He dreams that one day the war will stop. He will return to his homeland. But he will stay with the refugees until that dream comes true.
This article is about Yusra Mardini, who is a Syrian refugee and Olympic swimmer. She and her sister swam across the Aegean Sea and saved 20 lives while fleeing from Syria. She was a member of the Refugee Olympic Athletes Team (ROT), which competed under the Olympic flag at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. On 27 April 2017, Mardini was appointed a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.
Necessary references have been hyperlinked. Other references are:
1. Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian - My Story of Rescue, Hope, and Triumph by Yusra Mardini
2. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls- Yusra Mardini read by Diana Nyad.
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