If bravery was an Olympic sport, the 10 athletes who make up the first-ever refugee team in Rio would be odds-on for a clean sweep of the gold medals.

From Yusra Mardini, a teenage swimmer from Syria who braved a Mediterranean crossing in a leaky dinghy, to Popole Misenga, who spent eight days hiding in a forest as a terrified child to flee bloody fighting, each of the refugee athletes has overcome daunting odds to maintain their Olympic dreams.

Mardini, 18, spoke of her delight at the prospect of participating in Rio, where she will compete in the 100-meter butterfly and 100m freestyle.