Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian, My Story of Rescue, Hope and Triumph

That´s right. Only a name. A name given to us by circumstances beyond our control. Now we have to reclaim it. [...] "We are still humans", I say. "We are not only refugees. We are like everyone in the world. We can do something, achieve something. We didn´t choose to leave our homelands. We didn´t choose the name refugee. [...]

I realize how much I’ve missed while I’ve been busy telling my own story. Now I’m part of something much bigger. With the team, I’m representing sixty million displaced people across the world. It’s a huge responsibility, but I know my job. I have a message to spread: that being a refugee is not a choice. That we too can achieve great things.

Refugee. An empty shell, barely even human. No money, no home, no background, no history, no personality, no ambition, no path, no passion. Our past, present, future. All of it deleted and replaced by that one devastating word.

It’s just easier to laugh than to cry. If I cry, I’ll cry alone. But if you laugh, we can do it together. I guess no one knows how strong they can be until it’s their turn to deal with tragedy.

Back in Syria, we’d never gave anything directly to anyone. We’d give to a charity and then they’d make sure it got to people in need. That way no one felt looked down on. I remind myself how lucky we are to have found such a generous new friends. I try to push the uncomfortable thoughts away, but I can’t help it. It’s charity and it hurts.

No...no se lo merecía. Pero no puedes controlar todo lo que sucede en el mundo.