Seven months ago, Syrian refugee Yusra Mardini was swimming for her life as she fled Damascus, Syria with her older sister. Today, she is training for the 2016 Olympics.
The 18-year-old swimmer is hoping to be selected for a team of refugees that will compete under the Olympic flag in Rio this August.
The Refugee Olympic Athletes team will have between five and 10 members. There are currently 43 refugee athletes from different countries that are competing for spots on the team. The final decision for the team will be made in June.
Below, read about Mardini's tenacious and heroic journey.
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Mardini and her sister have been swimmers for many years. They were known as shining stars at their swimming club in Syria, until the war disrupted their training.
Their parents tried their hardest to keep them away from the intense war zones — they moved multiple times to avoid the conflict, but the war shortly became too dangerous. They decided to pick up and move all together after their house was destroyed.
Mardini and her sister left Damascus, Syria in early August. They boarded an inflatable boat in Turkey that was headed for the Greek island of Lesbos, alongside 20 other refugees.
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