We are getting closer and closer to the next Olympic Games to be held in Rio. Like most people from the North of Ireland, loyalty to teams is split. Do I support Irish athletes or UK athletes or both? It is a difficulty. I Know I will be supporting Tom Daley in the diving, but there is a smaller team representing (at the last count) the 59.5 million people fleeing their homes to escape conflict and persecution.
The International Olympic Committee today announced the selection of 10 refugees who will compete this August in Rio de Janeiro, forming the first-ever Refugee Olympic Athletes team. They include two Syrian swimmers, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a marathoner from Ethiopia and five middle-distance runners from South Sudan.
So, this year, I will be supporting #TeamRefugees
About Rami Anis, 25, Syria, 100-metre butterfly1
Rami Anis started formal swimming training as a 14-year-old growing up in Aleppo. He credits his Uncle Majad, who swam competitively in Syria, with instilling a passion for competing in the water. “Swimming is my life,” Rami says. “The swimming pool is my home.”
As bombings and kidnappings in Aleppo grew more frequent, his family put him on a flight to Istanbul to live with an older brother who was studying Turkish. “The bag I took had two jackets, two t-shirts, two trousers – it was a small bag,” Rami recalls. “I thought I would be in Turkey for a couple of months and then return to my country.”
“The swimming pool is my home.”
As months turned to years, he used the time to hone his swimming technique at the prestigious Galatasaray Sports Club. Yet without Turkish nationality, he was unable to swim in competitions. “It’s like someone who is studying, studying, studying and he can’t take the exam.”
Determined to prove himself, Rami rode an inflatable dinghy to the Greek island of Samos. Eventually, he reached the Belgian town of Ghent, where he’s been training nine times a week with former Olympic swimmer Carine Verbauwen.
“With the energy I have, I am sure I can achieve the best results,” he says. “It will be a great feeling to be part of the Olympics.”
Find out about all the members of #TeamRefugees from the UNHCR.
Gyronny Herald 