Gustavo E Perez

Visa Rio 2016 - The Swim

Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini's journey to Rio began in the treacherous waters of the Aegean Sea as she escaped the harrowing violence of the Syrian war. In 2015, she helped swim her boat to safety, pulling 17 fellow refugees behind her. Visa's ad, "The Swim," highlights Mardini's journey from Syria to the coast of Lesbos, where she began her travels through Europe, to settled in Berlin where she currently trains.  This ad celebrates her courage and perseverance, then and now. Mardini is one of the 10 athletes on the team of refugee Olympians from Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan who competed under the Olympic flag. In line with its believes of universal acceptance, Visa sponsored each member of the refugee Olympic team as part of the 46 Team Visa athletes from the Olympic and Paralympic games.