Syrian Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini, known for her role in the BAFTA-nominated Netflix documentary "The Swimmers," is shifting her focus towards her philanthropic work and other ventures by launching the Yusra Mardini Foundation. Having participated in the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics as part of the Refugee Olympic Athletes Team, Yusra aims to develop the foundation to promote sports and education accessibility for refugee communities worldwide. While promoting refugee rights, the foundation also offers direct assistance to athletes who are refugees.
In an interview with Arab News, Mardini discussed her academic pursuits and plans for her organization. Additionally, she revealed her interest in filmmaking and shared that she is studying film and production at the University of Southern California in California. She expressed her satisfaction with her involvement in various activities related to fashion and her nonprofit organization, as well as her collaboration with the UNHCR.
"The Swimmers" documents Yusra and her sister Sarah's remarkable journey from being Syrian war refugees who swam for three hours to reach the Greek island of Lesbos to becoming Olympic athletes. Yusra clarified that although approximately 90 percent of the events portrayed in the film are accurate, some incidents did not happen to her personally but were based on the experiences of other refugees worldwide.
During the casting process, Yusra received direct messages from Syrian girls on social media, many of whom expressed their application for her role. Ultimately, Manal Issa was cast as Yusra's sister Sarah after mentioning that she had a younger sister. The director then conducted auditions for them together and was greatly impressed by their performances.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, Yusra was unable to be physically present on set during filming. She did, however, continue to communicate often with British author Jack Thorne and Welsh Egyptian filmmaker Sally El-Hosaini, whom she trusted to help Lebanese actors Nathalie and Manal recreate her and Sarah's narrative. The movie had its Netflix debut on November 23 after screening in September at the 47th Toronto Film Festival.
