The 18-year-old athlete saved 20 people when the boat they were traveling in while fleeing Syria began to sink in the Aegean Sea.*
Mardini was traveling from Turkey to Greece by boat when its motor failed, she told The Independent. The small vessel meant to carry six people was instead loaded with 20, many of whom couldn't swim. Mardini, her sister and a few others jumped in the water and swam for three hours to pull the boat and its passengers to safety in Lesbos, Greece.*
Mardini, who **w lives in Berlin, will compete in the women's 100-meter butterfly and freestyle events in Rio. She's on a team of 10 refugees competing at the Olympics. * Read more...