Yusra Mardini swam for her life when she fled Syria in 2015. Just a year later, the inspirational teenager won the first heat in the women's 100m butterfly at the Rio Olympics. Mardini embarked on a perilous journey across the Mediterranean while fleeing war-torn Syria with her sister. They both swam for three hours in the frigid sea and pushed a sinking boat carrying 20 to safety before settling in Germany. The courageous 18-year-old was then named one of 10 members of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team for the Games in Brazil, where she rose to the occasion on day one, touching the wall first in the opening 100m butterfly heat. Mardini's time of 1:09.21 did not see her through to the semi-finals, but she savored the experience nonetheless.