Syrian Teenager Who Pushed Sinking Boat To The Coast Plans To Compete In The Olympics
Nine months ago, Yusra Mardini was forced to swim for her life. Now she could be competing in this summer’s Rio Olympics.
Meet Yusra Mardini, a 17-year-old Syrian refugee who was quite literally forced to swim for her life after the boat on which she heading for Europe started to sink.
UNHCR/Gordon Welters
When the boat's engine died, water started collecting inside and the dinghy began to sink. Mardini had two options: Try to save herself only or put her life at risk and try to rescue everyone else on board.
The decision was easy, Mardini told the U.N. refugee agency in an interview. There were around 20 people on the boat and not everyone knew how to swim. “It would have been shameful if the people on our boat had drowned,” she said.
Mardini has been training for years and represented Syria at Turkey's world's swimming championships in 2012. She's dreamt about the Olympics for a long time — now she has a chance of competing in them.
UNHCR/Gordon Welters
Through sheer perseverance, they managed to push the boat to the Greek island of Lesbos. Mardini and Sarah then decided to make the journey to Germany, where they hoped to start a new life.