Introduction Stories of Survival There are many different kinds of stories Some stories are about survival such as fleeing from war Others are about chasing dreams In 2015 Yusra Mardini YOOS-rah MAR-deen-ee was only 17 years old when she fled her home in war-torn Syria SEER-ee-uh She became famous after she helped rescue a boat full of people as it was sinking in the sea Less than a year later she competed at the Summer Olympics in Brazil What Is a Biography A biography is the story of a person’s experiences We read biographies to learn about another person’s life A biography can be based on many sources of information Primary sources include a person’s own words or pictures Secondary sources include friends family media and research By sharing her story Yusra has helped raise awareness about the global refugee crisis 4
Becoming a Refugee Yusra became a refugee when she left Syria A refugee is a person who flees from his or her country They leave for many reasons Some refugees escape war Others leave because they are being persecuted or because of a natural disaster such as an earthquake By June 2017 there were more than 22 5 million refugees around the world THINK ABOUT IT Yusra’s story has inspired many people As you read this book think about the special traits that make this young woman so remarkable 5
West Bank Israel Lebanon Turkey Iraq Saudia-Arabia Jordan Damascus Syria Mediterranean Sea Chapter 1 Growing Up in Syria Yusra’s journey began in her home country of Syria She was born on March 5 1998 in the capital city of Damascus duh-MAS-kuhs Growing up Yusra had a safe and happy childhood Her father Ezzat EZZ-zat was a swimming coach Her mother Mervat MEER-vat worked as a physiotherapist Yusra was their second daughter Her big sister Sarah was three when Yusra was born Their little sister Shahed SHAA-hed was born 11 years later Syria Syria is a small country in western Asia It is surrounded by five countries Iraq Israel Jordan Lebanon and Turkey People have lived in this area for thousands of years 6
At Home in the Water Yusra began swimming when she was three As she grew up she started to compete in races Family life centered around the pool Yusra’s father coached his talented daughters Sometimes the girls would train for up to nine hours a day All their hard work paid off and soon the sisters earned spots on the Syrian national team Yusra dreamed about going to the Olympics She admired American swimmer Michael Phelps and Jamaican sprinter Usain YOO-sane Bolt interview 2016 When I was a little kid I was just put into the water Yusra Mardini New York Times 7
