Exclusive ‘I left as a child': Yusra Mardini returns to Syria after a decade of fleeing war

Olympic swimmer and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Yusra Mardini has spent the last decade turning trauma into purpose. Now, for the first time since fleeing Syria at 17, she's returned home to help rebuild her country.
'It was very emotional for me,' Mardini said in an exclusive interview on Al Arabiya News. 'I was in complete denial. It felt like I was dreaming… I saw the sign, 'Welcome to Syria,' and immediately started crying. My mom was sitting next to me…it was also her first time back in 10 years.'
Watch the full interview here.
Mardini's return marked a full-circle moment for the 27-year-old whose dramatic escape from war was documented in the Netflix film The Swimmers. The movie chronicled how she and her sister fled Damascus, swimming for their lives across the Aegean Sea. But her latest visit marked a new part of her journey.
'I left Syria a child,' she said. 'I didn't understand politics. I just knew I had to run. Now, I went back intentionally, to help, to rebuild.'
The trip was part of a UNHCR mission aimed at shedding light on the world's largest displacement crisis. Over 30 million Syrians have been displaced since the war began.
'I have a home in Germany. I have a Plan B,' Mardini said. 'But other people don't. That's why it's my duty to go back as a Goodwill Ambassador.'
Despite the overwhelming scenes of destruction, Mardini's visit had some positive personal moments like reuniting with her maternal grandmother after 10 years and she visited her old swimming pool – the same one where a missile once landed while she was training.
'It's hard to put into words. That pool is where my story began as a swimmer,' she told Al Arabiya News. 'People ask about the missile scene [from the film] – yes, it happened. But it happened every day. At the pool, at school, on the streets. This isn't just my story – it's the story of millions of Syrians.'
One moment, in particular, resonated with her during her recent visit: meeting a young girl named Kholoud.
'Her home was destroyed. She was wearing her Eid clothes. And she gave me the biggest smile. That's what I've learned from refugees, no matter how dark it gets, there's always light.'
Mardini has made it her life's work to be that light. In addition to working with the UN, she launched the Yusra Mardini Foundation to support refugees through access to education and sports. During the interview, she explained that the foundation's mission is inspired by her parents: Her father, a swimming coach; her mother, a teacher.
'I want to give them the opportunity to dream,' she said. 'Whether they want to be a doctor, an athlete, or a therapist – how can we help them get there?'
While she's already working on several projects to support refugees from all different backgrounds, her heart remains attached to Syria.
'My dream is to build schools and hospitals back home,' she said. 'To help my people heal.'
Asked if she sees herself ever returning to Syria permanently, Mardini was both hopeful and grounded.
'Syria is my home. Germany is my new home. You can have multiple homes. I'd love to go back and open a swimming academy one day, but right now, my role is to think of others before myself.'

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