A team of 10 refugees is set to make Olympic history by being the first team of refugees ever to compete in the Olympic Games.
According to The New Yorker, the team is made up of six men
and four women, all of whom have stories of overcoming not only athletic
challenges, but challenges of actual survival.
The team is comprised of two swimmers from Syria, two judo competitors
from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a marathoner from Ethiopia, and
five middle-distance runners from South Sudan.
The 10 participants were selected from a group of 43 refugees by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The opening ceremony in Rio will feature a tribute to the hundreds of thousands of refugees who are struggling worldwide.
Thomas Back, the president of the IOC, stated, “These refugees have no
home, no team, no flag, no national anthem. We will offer them a home in
the Olympic Village, together with all the athletes of the word. The
Olympic anthem will be played in their honor, and the Olympic flag will
lead them into the Olympic Stadium. These refugee athletes will show the
world that despite the unimaginable tragedies that they have faced,
anyone can contribute to society through their talent, skills, and
strength of the human spirit.”
Although the refugee Olympians recognize that their circumstances put
them at a disadvantage, they know their ability to overcome obstacles is
strong.
“A lot of things happened in our lives and it was really bad. But life will not stop for you, your pain, your problems,” said swimmer Yusra Mardini.
“At some point, you have to move on. ...A lot of people are (expecting)
a lot from us. A lot of people have hope in us and we can’t let them
down.”
The refugee team has already been an inspiration to many. Crosswalk.com contributor Whitney Hopler notes that the persevereance of these athletes has a lot to teach us about God.
The opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio takes place Friday, August 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment