Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini fled Syria in 2015 with her sister Sarah. While crossing the sea by boat, the sisters along with two men swam for hours to bring their group of refugees to shore on the Greek island of Lesbos. Their experience inspired Netflix’s 2022 “The Swimmers,” and a year after arriving in Greece, Mardini competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics. YPO member Bassel Hamwi talks with Mardini about their experiences fleeing Syria, and their hopes for a new chapter for the country built on dignity, resilience, and healing.

Key Takeaways:
- Resilience forged in crisis: Yusra’s Olympic dream survived bombings, exile, and extreme hardship.
- Leadership means jumping in: She risked her life to save others—long before she stood on a global stage.
- Dignity matters more than survival: The deepest wounds came not from war, but from how refugees are treated.
- Hope returns with purpose: Now focused on rebuilding Syria, Yusra is raising a new generation through sport, education, and collective healing.