Yusra Mardini facts for kids
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Yusra Mardini in 2016
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Native name | يسرى مارديني |
| Birth name | Yusra Mardini |
| Born | 5 March 1998 Darayya, Damascus, Syria |
| Occupation | competition swimmer |
| Years active | 2012 -2022 |
| Height | 1.68 m |
| Sport | |
| Country | Syria |
| Sport | Freestyle swimming, Butterfly stroke |
| Coached by | Sven Spannekrebs |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Olympic finals | member of Refugee Olympic Team 2016 and 2020 |
Yusra Mardini (Arabic: يسرى مارديني; born on March 5, 1998) is a Syrian former competition swimmer. She is also a refugee from the Syrian Civil War. Yusra was a member of the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT). This team competed under the Olympic flag at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
On April 27, 2017, Mardini became a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. She also competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. There, she was part of the Refugee Olympic Team (EOR). In 2023, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Her sister, Sarah, was also on this list.
Yusra's Early Life
Yusra Mardini grew up in Damascus, Syria. She trained in swimming with help from the Syrian Olympic Committee. In 2012, she swam for Syria in a big competition. This was the 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m). She competed in the 200-meter individual medley, 200-meter freestyle, and 400-meter freestyle events.
Her family's home was destroyed during the Syrian Civil War. Because of this, Yusra and her sister Sarah decided to leave Syria in August 2015. They traveled to Lebanon and then to Turkey. From Turkey, they planned to travel by boat to Greece.
The boat was very small, meant for only 6 or 7 people. But there were 18 other people on board. During the journey, the boat's motor stopped working. The dinghy started to fill with water in the Aegean Sea. Yusra, Sarah, and two other people who could swim jumped into the water. They pushed and pulled the boat for over three hours. Finally, they reached the island of Lesbos.
After reaching Greece, they walked across Europe to Germany. They settled in Berlin in September 2015. Later, her parents and younger sister also came to Germany.
Yusra's Olympic Swimming Journey
When Yusra arrived in Germany, she kept training. Her coach, Sven Spannekrebs, helped her at Wasserfreunde Spandau 04 in Berlin. She hoped to swim in the Olympics. She tried to qualify for the 200-meter freestyle swimming event.
In June 2016, Yusra was chosen for the new Refugee Olympic Team. This team had ten athletes. Yusra competed in the 100 metres freestyle and the 100 metres butterfly at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
She won her 100-meter butterfly heat. She swam faster than four other swimmers. Her time was 1:09.21. She was 41st out of 45 swimmers. However, she did not move on to the next rounds.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach spoke about the refugee athletes. He said, "We help them make their dream of sporting excellence come true. This is true even when they have to flee war and violence."
Yusra also swam at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. She carried the flag for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team. This happened during the opening ceremony. In the women's 100-meter butterfly, she swam in 1:06.78. She did not qualify for the next rounds. Only the top 16 swimmers moved on.
"After the Olympics, I realised that it’s not just my story anymore. I realised that my responsibility is to raise awareness and bring hope to millions of refugees around the world and speak for all of those who do not have a voice".
After deciding to stop her swimming career, Yusra moved to Los Angeles in 2022. She now studies Cinema and Visual arts at the University of Southern California.
Yusra's Work as an Ambassador
In May 2017, Yusra Mardini became the youngest Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Since then, she has met many refugees. For example, she visited the Zaatari camp in Jordan. She has also spoken at many important meetings and in schools. She gives interviews to the media.
In October 2017, Yusra joined a team of international athletes. They represented the Under Armour sports brand. Chris Bate, a manager at Under Armour in Europe, said: "We are inspired by her drive and accomplishments. This is true both as a person and as an athlete."
On June 20, 2023, which is UN World Refugee Day, she started the Yusra Mardini Foundation. This foundation helps refugee communities with sports and education. The Foundation is based in both the US and Germany. It has a small team that has worked with refugees before.
Yusra has also worked with famous fashion brands. In January 2023, she was on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia. She also worked as a model at Milan Fashion Week in September of the same year.
For the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Yusra Mardini was hired by Eurosport and Discovery TV. She will report on the Refugee Olympic Team for them.
See also
In Spanish: Yusra Mardini para niños
