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Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Olympic Swimmer Yusra Mardini on Returning to Syria After 10 Years Away
When her home was destroyed in the Syrian civil war, Yusra Mardini and her family fled, eventually resettling in Germany. During one leg of their journey, a small boat they were traveling on from Lebanon stopped working and Mardini and her sister—both competitive swimmers since they were children—jumped into the water and towed it for more than three hours to make it to Lesbos, Greece. Netflix's 2022 film The Swimmers famously told the story of how the sisters went from Syria to competing at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics as part of the Refugee Olympic Team. They once wondered if they'd never return to Syria. But this past December, the country's brutal Assad regime was toppled by rebel forces after 50 years, and while there is still conflict and many safety risks remain, some Syrians feel ready to return now that the violent dictatorship has ended. Over 13 million Syrians have been displaced in the past 14 years. Since December 8, around 370,000 refugees have returned home to their communities. Many more hope to do the same. In March, Mardini became one of them. Ten years after she left, Mardini returned to Syria, along with her mother. They visited their relatives, saw the remains of their home, and visited with displaced people as part of Mardini's role as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. During her visit, Mardini saw the nation reeling from the ongoing war and the implications of sanctions that the U.S. and other countries have put on Syria. According to UNICEF, more than two million school-aged children are out of school there, and one in three schools cannot be used because they were either destroyed, or damaged, or are being used as shelter. 'The most important thing for people to know about Syria is that this country is in a state of pain. There's a lot of anger. There's a lot of asking, 'Why did the world turn their backs on us?'' she says. 'Syria needs to heal. Syria needs to be protected. We need to build the country with the values that we were taught when we were young. We need to protect each other as Syrians. I want people to understand that the most important thing for Syrians right now is basic human rights. We need those.' It was a mix of emotions. The moment we crossed the border, I was in tears. It made it so much more emotional to have my mother next to me in the car, seeing my grandma after 10 years, seeing my family. It was as if nothing changed, but everything did change. It was like, this is my home, this is my land, but I'm kind of a stranger. My friends took me around and told me about the new places, and about how heavy the sanctions are. It's my country—I felt a little bit disappointed that I didn't know how much they were struggling, even though I'm an advocate, and even though I've been talking about my country for the past 10 years. When I came back from Syria, it was very heavy on me. When I was 17, it was a bit easier. I had swimming to focus my anger at, and I could channel everything into something positive, into my goals. Now I'm 27, and I feel like we get attached a little deeper. We get sad a bit more. We can't move on as quickly as we could when we were young. It was like a brand-new experience that I have to still process. Syrians are so isolated from the world. The regime and the sanctions have made it very difficult for people to have a normal life. They are living to survive. Of course, they have their goals and their ambitions, and they wake up every day with a positive attitude, trying to accomplish things in life. What I noticed is the urgent need for everything. When I say everything, everything. Forty percent of schools in Syria are destroyed; 90 percent of Syrians are on the poverty line. It's still the highest number for refugee crisis in the world—13 million. It's so heartbreaking. Even if you did not seek refuge outside of Syria, you are displaced within the country. A lot of people go back and find their homes destroyed. It's just, in general, very heartbreaking. I always say that I came back with so much anger and sadness, but I'll channel that to do good. I want to be angry at the world. I'm not going to lie to you. I want to scream, but I can actually take that anger and put it into something good. Instead of just words, I can actually think, how can I navigate building schools, building hospitals, working with UNHCR, visiting shelters? How can I use my anger to actually make a difference? That's not easy, but the difference is a lot. Oh, it was not the right time. There's no right time. But I wanted to go back in December—I was not going to wait. I didn't care about security. I didn't care about anything. I am very lucky to have UNHCR. I'm very lucky to have my mother tell me, 'You need to wait. You need to be patient.' It was the right timing because UNHCR is an incredible team that said, 'Okay, we'll navigate this trip because it's very, very important,' even though they're [dealing with] insane budget cuts right now. Not many missions are happening right now, but they understood the importance of me going back home and helping my people. I met with a lot of people, actually. I met with the staff from UNHCR in Damascus. We went to a few community centers in Daraa and Homs, and we went to businesses that are supported by UNHCR. It was honestly very inspiring to me to meet the people and understand that, for small businesses, it's just like they're starting from scratch. They're already displaced, and they are learning how to give back from nothing. They're giving job opportunities to other refugees or other Syrians. They are teaching them how to knit or how to make this product. These women that are employed are supporting their families. It was very inspiring, but I wasn't surprised because I know my people. My grandma would not throw out an old shirt. She would create something out of it. I love that about Syrians. There was one family that we visited, and I met this little girl named Kholoud, wearing her new clothes from aid. Her house was destroyed, but she had the biggest smile on her face. She was so excited. For me, I was like, This is why I do the work that I do, because I want to be someone that inspires her. I want her to look up at me and say, 'Look, Yusra made it. So can I.' Is it heartbreaking? Do I want to take them all and put them in a better location, give them all the rights that they're supposed to have? One hundred percent. I wish I was a superwoman, but I'm not. This is not the only trip that I'm going to make to Syria. My goal is to be someone that is able to build schools, to build hospitals, to be able to support refugees worldwide, not just in Syria. I truly believe I can. It's still heavy. I expected it to be destroyed, but not completely on the ground. [But it was.] I don't know what happened. The neighbors told us that the building stood until seven months ago, so maybe it was dangerous to keep it standing? I have no idea what happened. My mom was like, 'This is the building.' I was like, 'No.' She was like, 'We just saw your uncle's house. This is our building.' I was like, 'No.' It was really, really devastating. I shared the video online because I know that I have a responsibility. I know that I have the power, and I know that my voice would reach people. It's gotten 21 million views right now. A lot of people are commenting on things that I fought for: 'Oh, but her nails are pretty, her hair is pretty, her outfit is fine. What is she crying about?' We put refugees in a box—we have to look a certain way, we have to speak a certain way. How dare we speak English, and how could we look pretty and clean? But I knew that very few people can share a video like that. Who wants to stand in front of their destroyed home and show the world? I don't think anyone wants that. Swimming taught me a lot. From a very young age, I learned how to separate between my professional life and my personal life. My father always told me, 'When you're in the pool, you're focusing on your goals, and everything else outside of the pool can wait.' It taught me how to do that in life, with or without sports. Swimming also taught me patience. I am not going to get to where I want by doing ordinary things, but I have to do ordinary things for a very long time in order to do extraordinary things. I have to do boring workouts. I have to do boring hours in the pool for me to get to the level that I want. It taught me how to deal with disappointment, and it taught me how to try again. This interview has been edited and condensed for Might Also Like The 15 Best Organic And Clean Shampoos For Any And All Hair Types 100 Gifts That Are $50 Or Under (And Look Way More Expensive Than They Actually Are)
BBC News
18-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ngamba to have surgery after pro debut withdrawal
Olympian Cindy Ngamba says she will undergo surgery to "correct" the issue that prevented her from making her professional boxing debut in 26-year-old was preparing for a light-middleweight contest at the Royal Albert Hall but was withdrawn on medical grounds just a day before the planned Ngamba made history at last year's Paris Olympics as the first member of the Refugee Olympic Team to win a medal."I was heartbroken not to make my pro debut March 7th [when] a routine pre fight medical revealed an issues which prevented me from competing," Ngamba wrote in an Instagram post on she did not detail the nature of the problem, she added that she would have "surgery to correct things in the coming weeks" and return to full training later in the Ngamba signed a "multi-fight" promotional deal with Boxxer earlier this was scheduled to fight Kirstie Bavington on the all-female card headlined by welterweight world champion Lauren Price's unification win over Natasha Jonas."This is just a setback, not the end of the road. The best chapters are yet to come," Ngamba said."I will be back in action soon. Stronger, sharper and ready to leave my mark in the woman's boxing division. Always stay positive."
Al Arabiya
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Arabiya
Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini who inspired Netflix film returns to Syria after 10 years
Olympic swimmer and Syrian refugee Yusra Mardini, whose story inspired the 2022 Netflix film The Swimmers, returned to Syria ten years after she fled the civil war to Europe. While crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece in 2015, she not only survived but along with her sister heroically saved the lives of everyone onboard her dinghy. In the middle of the tumultuous journey, the boat's engine gave in. The two sisters jumped into the water and swam beside the boat for several hours, navigating it to safety. After having found refuge in Germany, Mardini went on to compete as a member of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and then again at the games in Tokyo. She had not been to Syria since. 'I can't believe this moment is real. After 10 years, I'm back at the pool where it all began, the place where I dreamed of competing at the Olympics, where I fell in love with swimming, and where so much of my journey started,' she said Thursday on Instagram. In 2017 at the age of 19, Mardini was appointed the youngest-ever Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. 'So much has changed, yet it still feels like home. I never knew if I'd ever see this place again, and now, standing on this pool deck, I'm overwhelmed with emotions, gratitude, nostalgia, and pure joy. This pool shaped me, and today I get to be here again…I'm home,' she added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yusra Mardini (@yusramardini) The inspiring 27-year-old has penned her memoir Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian – My Story of Rescue, Hope and Triumph. She also launched The Yusra Mardini Foundation, a non-profit organization working toward providing access to sports and education to refugees. In December last year, an opposition coalition in Syria ousted then-president Bashar al-Assad in a lightening offensive, ending an authoritarian regime, which started with his father in 1971. Earlier this year, Ahmed al-Sharaa, then the leader of the opposition group which led al-Assad's overthrow, was appointed president. Syrians everywhere largely welcomed the toppling of al-Assad, emphasizing the need to be cautiously optimistic about the new government.
BBC News
06-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ngamba out of pro debut because of 'medical issue'
Olympian Cindy Ngamba has been withdrawn from her professional debut on medical grounds and will not feature on Friday's all-female card in 26-year-old bronze medallist was scheduled to face Kirstie Bavington in a light-middleweight contest at the Royal Albert Ngamba made history at last year's Paris Olympics as the first member of the Refugee Olympic Team to win a medal."Cindy Ngamba will not be making her professional debut on Friday night after a pre-fight medical examination revealed an issue requiring further investigations", promoters Boxxer said."The health and safety of fighters remains the highest priority, and Cindy will undergo further tests in the coming days."Boxxer told BBC Sport it will not be making any further comment on the nature of the Ngamba signed a "multi-fight" promotional deal with Boxxer earlier this card will be headlined by welterweight world champion Natasha Jonas' unification fight against fellow Briton Lauren lightweight champion Caroline Dubois will defend her title against Bo Mi Re Shin in the chief support. Jonas v Price undercard Natasha Jonas v Lauren Price - IBF, WBC & WBA welterweight world titles (10x2min rounds)Caroline Dubois v Bo Mi Re Shin - WBC lightweight world titleKarriss Artingstall v Raven Chapman - British featherweight titleChloe Watson v Jasmina Zapotoczna - European flyweight title (10x2min rounds)Francesca Hennessy v TBC - super-bantamweight
CBC
05-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Trailblazing Olympic refugee boxer Cindy Ngamba set for pro debut on all-female fight card in London
Social Sharing Something stood out to Cindy Ngamba as she glanced around when Friday's all-female boxing event was first announced. So many world championship belts. Ngamba wants one of her own. "I saw Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price and Caroline Dubois with their belts, and I remember saying `Oh, that looks nice, I would love to have one of them,'" she said. Achieving goals is kind of Ngamba's thing. At the Paris Games, she became the first athlete competing as a refugee to earn a medal when she took bronze in the middleweight category. A decade ago, the Cameroon—born Ngamba thought she was about to be deported from Britain. Now she's set to make her professional debut at Royal Albert Hall. She's facing veteran Kirstie Bavington in a super welterweight bout in London as part of an all-female card headlined by the Jonas vs. Price welterweight world title unification fight. "I can see it, that dream of me having a belt and being the world champion," Ngamba told The Associated Press, "but at the same time you have to be in the present and you have to make sure you get the job done." WATCH l Sportsmanship on display after Ngamba beats Canada's Thibeault at Paris 2024: Sportsmanship on full display from Canada's Tammara Thibeault to Refugee Olympic Team's Cindy Ngamba 7 months ago Duration 0:56 The 26-year-old Ngamba tries not to think ahead too much. That's because she knows circumstances can change so quickly. Ngamba had arrived in Britain at age 11 — her father and siblings live here, too — in Bolton, just north of Manchester, and set about learning English and trying to fit in. She picked up boxing at age 15, and it became an escape from the stress of worrying about her residency status. She described being arrested as a teenager while checking in at an immigration centre in Manchester. "My case was still pending. I applied and they rejected it. When they reject your case, you have to go and re-apply again. I was in a situation where even though I was re-applying every time, they could have arrested me at any moment," she said. "I visualized that they could arrest me in the street or in my house, in school or with my friends. I never knew it was going to be at an immigration centre where I usually [went] every weekend." Worried she would be deported, she thought to herself: "'I have no one in Cameroon, no family in Cameroon. Who is going to take care of me?"' She was held overnight at a detention facility in London before being released. Ngamba, who came out as gay when she was 18, eventually won her case and was given refugee status. Same-sex relations in Cameroon can result in prison sentences of five years in the country. Her progress in the boxing ring — Ngamba was an England amateur champion at three different weights — attracted the attention of Britain's elite development program. Ngamba was brought in to spar the likes of Jonas, Price and others in hopes that she would eventually compete for Britain. Ngamba, one of the flag-bearers for the Olympic refugee team at the opening ceremony in Paris, is still treated as one of their own at "GB Boxing." After the Olympics, her name was added to the wall of fame at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, and she joined British Olympians at a Buckingham Palace reception where she meet King Charles III.
