Yusra Mardini survived the unthinkable while fleeing her war-torn country.
Then her dream of swimming in the Olympics came true.
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Yusra Mardini is an inspiration.
Here, she shares her experience withMarie Claire.
Marie Claire: What was the final straw that made you decide to flee your country?
Yusra Mardini:To be honest with you, there was not like one specific event.
It just wasnt safe to live in Syria.
My father left to be a swim coach in Jordan where the pay would be better.
One time I had to hide under my desk in the school.
It just wasnt safe.
The bombs would fall randomly.
It became so normal, which is horrible.
We found someone our parents could trust, my dads cousin, and they let us go.
MC: What is the thing that you remember most from your journey as a refugee?
YM:Probably the fact that we were looked at as criminals.
That was terrifying, as was being separated from my sister for part of the journey.
As long as I was with her, I felt safe.
I met so many incredible people.
Theres always good, wherever you go.
MC: And now youre trying to do good in the world.
Tell us about your foundation.
We now have programs in Kenya, France, and Greece.
MC: Speaking of sports, tell us about competing in the Olympics with the Refugee team?
I was one of the 10 members of this first team for the Rio Olympics.
I was 18 at the time, and Im still in touch with a lot of the athletes.
In the beginning, it was hard for me.
I didnt want to be called a refugee.
It took me a while to be okay with that.
We realized that our responsibility was way bigger than any of the other athletes.
When I entered the stadium for the opening ceremony, I felt:Its not just your dream anymore.
Its about changing something.
MC: And what message do you want to share now?
For the rest of the world, never forget the humanity of refugees.
And for sports fans, support the refugee team and follow my commentary on Eurosport this summer.
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