GENEVA (Reuters) - She escaped the bombs of Syria, and almost drowned when her dinghy capsized off Greece, but Yusra Mardini then competed at the Olympics and has now been appointed a U.N. goodwill ambassador to be a voice for people seeking shelter from war. Mardini had to swim for hours after capsizing in the Mediterranean with her sister. Granted refugee status by Germany, she swam at the Games last August as one of 10 athletes in the first-ever refugee Olympic team which she hopes will become a permanent fixture. "Of course I'm really hoping that in the next Olympics there will be a new refugee Olympic team, and I am sure that all the world is supporting that because it was a really good idea," she said. U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Kelly Clements said plans for that were not finalised.

Source: The Star April 27, 2017 15:33 UTC