Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini was recently appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency

Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini, a Syrian who fled across the Mediterranean, was recently appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency and pledged to work harder to inspire refugees around the world. Mardini, 19, who competed in last summer’s games in Rio de Janeiro as a member of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team, said she was honoured to work with UNHCR and would dedicate her voice to speak up for people who have been forced to flee their homes. Mardini, who has been granted asylum in Germany, is the youngest Goodwill Ambassador working with UNHCR.