Yusra Mardini is an inspiration. At only 17 years old, she fled her war-torn home country of Syria with her sister, both swimmers training at the highest level. As the small boat she was on with 18 other refugees broke down in the middle of the Mediterranean, Mardini and her sister jumped in the water and pulled the boat to safety. After reaching European shores and finding her final refuge in Germany, she went back to training and ended up participating in the Rio and Tokyo Olympics. Her story was even turned into a Netflix movie, "The Swimmers" and Mardini and her sister were among Time Magazine’s list of The 100 Most Influential People in 2023. Here, she shares her experience with Marie Claire.
Marie Claire: What was the final straw that made you decide to flee your country?
