olympics
MEET THE 10 ATHLETES FROM THE REFUGEE OLYMPIC TEAM
RAMI ANIS, 25, BORN IN SYRIA, 100-METRE BUTTERFLY
When Rami Anis began his formal swim training as a 14-year-old in Aleppo, Syria, he watched YouTube videos—hundreds of
swimmer Michael Phelps, trying to copy every detail of the champion’s butterfly stroke.
Rami became one of
Syria’s top swimmers. But then the civil war intervened, and in 2011, Rami’s parents sent him to live in Istanbul with his older brother. There, he trained at the renowned Galatasaray Sports Club. But without Turkish nationality, he couldn’t compete, and four years went by.
“It’s like someone who is studying, studying, studying and he can’t take the exam,” says Rami.
times—of American gold medal
In desperation, like his father and thousands before him, Rami and his brother contacted smugglers and boarded a flimsy rubber dinghy on its way to the Greek island of Samos. When the motor died three miles from shore, the dinghy was spun relentlessly by five-foot waves. Miraculously, they made it to safety, and Rami eventually reached the Belgian town of Ghent, where he’s been training relentlessly with former Olympic swimmer Carine Verbauwen.
“I hope that at Tokyo 2020 there will be no refugee team as I hope for all wars to end and so all athletes will be able to compete in the name of their country,” he says.
“THE SWIMMING POOL IS MY HOME.”
© UNHCR/Gordon Welters 10 / UNHCR
Rami earned a standing ovation after setting a personal best in the men’s 100-metre freestyle, and while his time in the 100-metre butterfly saw him ranked 40th out of 43 in the heats, he says, “It’s a wonderful feeling to compete in the Olympics. I don’t want to wake up from this dream.”
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