Olympic refugee team member Yusra Mardini from Syria.
Olympic refugee team member Yusra Mardini from Syria.
The lead-up to the 2016 Olympic Games was certainly not short on controversy.
It had everything, from unsanitary accommodation and poorly equipped venues to the Zika virus and an impeached ex-president. As the first South American country to host the Games, a high level of scrutiny on Brazil's abilities todo so was inevitable.
I'm sure many of the people who tuned in to watch the Games were expecting some sort of disaster, but, green pool and a few other minor issues aside, once the events kicked off the focus was predominantly on the athletes competing, as it should be.
This time around, a particular group of athletes piqued my interest and I'm sure the interest of many others. This year was the first Games in which a refugee team competed, in a move designed to draw attention to the refugee crisis that many countries are facing.
The athletes have been displaced from Ethiopia, South Sudan, Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
As if Olympic athletes weren't already inspiring enough, these 10 athletes have fled war-torn countries, lived in refugee camps, and been separated from their families. Not only that, they've also managed to master a sport and make it to the most prestigious sporting event in the world.
What they all have in common is an incredible, heart-wrenching personal tale. They must also have an iron strong will to have made it that far.
One member of the refugee team was Yusra Mardini, a teenage swimmer from Syria, who helped save the lives of 20 people by pushing a dinghy in the water for three hours on the treacherous journey from Turkey to Lesbos. She said in a press conference: "I hope you're going to learn from our story: that you have to move on, because life will never stop for your problems."
It's a reminder of the power sport has as a tool in overcoming hardship. So, while these Games have perhaps been more controversial than others, I think they've also been that little bit more inspiring, too.
