Feature: Refugee Olympian Mardini: Swimming to a new life

On the way to leave her country which was torn by war flame, the teenage swimmer once thought desperately that she was going to die in water.

But the odyssey last year didn't prevent 18-year-old Syrian athlete Yusra Mardini from pursuing her dream in the swimming pool.

Although she failed to make to the semifinal of 100m freestyle at the Rio Olympics on Thursday, Mardini beamed with content.

"It was a wonderful experience," she told Xinhua.

"I want to send a message not only to refugees in Syria but those all over the world that you have to move on since life has to continue even th`ough your country is broken," she said.

WINNER IN THE RACE OF SURVIVAL

Mardini was born in Damascus, whose father was a swimming coach. She started swimming at the age of four, and was later selected into the national squad of Syria.

In 2011, however, she saw the peace of her life shattered, after war broke out in her country.

The darkest day came when a bomb exploded on the roof of her training center, killing two of her teammates.

"I told my mom that I had had enough," Mardini recalled bitterly. "There I had no future. I love swimming and I need training, but warfare rendered everything meaningless." Her mom agreed that she could leave.

She thus became a member of close to five million Syrian refugees.

She left with her sister on August 12 last year for Turkey, where the pair spent four days before boarding a boat to Greece.

The boat was designed for six but carried 20 refugees, including a six-year-old boy.

While they were approaching the destination, the engine of the boat suddenly stopped working and the boat started sinking.

Mardini jumped into the water along with her sister and two others. She carried a rope with one hand, swimming with ther other.

"I had been in love with water since childhood," she said. "But at that moment, the sea was my biggest enemy."

The water was cold, in which she swam for three and a half hours.

When they finally saw the land again, Mardini climbed onto the boat, lying down and unable to move any more.

In retrospect, she said: "Swimming saved my life. I swam so as to survive. Swimming made me happy, and gave me the courage to move on."

BE YOUR OWN HERO

Mardini was received by Germany.

In the earliest days, the only thing they could do was waiting in long queues for bread. Later an NGO introduced her to a sports club in Berlin.

Her coach in the club set a goal for Mardini: to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, but a decision by the International Olympic Committee realized her dream earlier.

The first ever refugee team was formed this year for athletes that have fled conflict-riven countries and regions under the Olympic flag, including five runners from South Sudan, two swimmers from Syria, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of Congo and a marathon runner from Ethiopia.

Mardini edged into the 10-member squad from a 43-person list, trimmed down from the original 1000.

Mardini competed in the women's 100m butterfly and 100m freestyle and did not even make the semifinals but she was cheered and encouraged all the way by the spectators.

Many others were also watching. The refugees Mardini saved told her that they were going to cheer for her, and a web user from Syria said on her Facebook account that he was inspired by her story, and Syria was proud of her.

Some Chinese netizens also left words to encourage the swimmer. "May the world see the dream and hope that you are carrying. May peace prevail across the globe," one said.

In the 100m free heat, Mardini finished with one minute and 4.66 seconds, almost seven seconds behind the leader of the group in Heat 1 on Wednesday.

Taking off her swimming cap, she looked up at her score, water trickling down her cheeks.

"I tried my best," she said.

On her Facebook account, she left a few words: "Losers quit when they fail. Winners fail until they succeed. If there is no way, create one. You are stronger than you think. Be your own superhero." Endit