Yusra Mardini is a Syrian former competition swimmer, co-founder of the Yusra Mardini Foundation, and a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. Born in Damascus, Syria, she trained in swimming with the support of the Syrian Olympic Committee, representing Syria in the 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships.

In August 2015, Mardini and her sister Sarah fled the Syrian Civil War, traveling through Lebanon and Turkey.