Salma pictures it the swimmer standing proudly at the edge of the pool She doesn't look nervous Like Salma she has light tanned skin with some dimples and birthmarks A wisp of hair chestnut brown just like Salma's escapes her swimming cap Her eyes are the color of honey Salma knows even though Yusra is wearing goggles All my friends loved Yusra Salma insists She remembers her friend Riya turning to her in excitement when the video finished Yusra is so cool She went through so much but now she's thriving It's very common for immigrants and refugees to be successful when given the chance Ms. Singh said Yusra is my new favorite Olympian Ayman added I don't know any other Olympians but she is my favorite for sure 4
Even though she'd seen the video many times Salma's eyes had been glued to the big screen watching her hero doing the butterfly breaking the surface of the water and splashing it in an arc over her head pushing herself forward with purpose I wish I could swim like Yusra Salma told her classmates
And that's when Ms. Singh had shared the most amazing thing ever The thing Salma needs to ask Mama about now Maybe you can be like Yusra Ms. Singh had said There's a swimming club here at school Salma doesn't know how to swim and no one in her family has ever been to a swimming pool But Ms. Singh had explained that she could learn to swim if she joined the club If she worked hard she could even try out for the school swim team And if she made it onto the team she'd get to race against other schools All she needs is her parents permission Salma leans into Mama's side and lets images of her possible future fill her head She too could dive elegantly into the swimming pool She could push the water with her arms and legs until she floated on its 6
surface like a butterfly She could win all the Olympic medals in the world and carry them around her neck proudly
