© UNHCR
“I was afraid of the sea, especially after crossing in a boat to Lesvos. When I arrived here, I learned how to swim, which helps me relieve stress and feel more confident.”
For young Fatime, the swimming classes for refugees, offered by Yoga and Sport with Refugees (YSR), provide much more than just a useful skill. As she explains, they also help her overcome her fears and stress, while offering her a creative way to spend her time on the island, meeting people and making new friends. Since last June, more than 440 people have participated in the swimming lessons organized in Lesvos with the support of the Yusra Mardini Foundation and Butterfly by Yusra Mardini.
The team of dedicated coaches, with the guidance of Sven Spannekrebs, create an environment where people can feel safe in the water, and support them to overcome the trauma they may have suffered from their perilous journey to safety.
Sven, best known through his “character” in Netflix’s movie “The Swimmers”, as he is the swimming coach who helped Yusra Mardini compete in the Olympic Games in Rio, returned to Lesvos this summer. He first participated in the awareness-raising activity “Swim for Good”, organized in June on the island and in six other cities around the world, and then volunteered as a coach in YSR’s swimming classes.
“I feel deeply connected to Lesvos, and I returned not only to teach refugees how to swim and train swimming coaches, but also to send a message of solidarity and hope”, says Sven who is also one of the Board Members of the Yusra Mardini Foundation. The foundation, established by UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Yusra Mardini, supports refugees by providing access to sports and education, fostering inclusivity and integration.
© UNHCR
© UNHCR
© UNHCR
“I take swimming classes because I wish to learn how to love the sea, which has scared me a lot”, Ammar confided to UNHCR staff members, as they delivered a donation of swimming equipment to cover some of the classes’ needs. Another young swimmer, Mohammad, who is a refugee from Palestine, feels like he is closer to home when at sea, since swimming was part of his daily life. “In Gaza, the sea is stormy! The waters here are very calm”, he added before eagerly diving in the sea with his friends.
“We aim to include local people in the classes soon, in order to create new opportunities for integration through sports”, Sven Spannekrebs adds, while watching class participants having fun and growing more confident in the water.
You can find more information about YSR’s full schedule of activities and information for next year’s swimming classes here:
https://yogasportwithrefugees.org/
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