Rio 2016: Syrian teenager Yusra Mardini leads the way for refugee Olympic team

Mardini will compete in the women's 100 metre butterfly heats

Mardini is determined to turn the focus towards the future (Getty)

Syrian teenager Yusra Mardini is determined to spread a message of positivity when she becomes the first member of the Refugee Olympic Team to compete at the Rio Games on Saturday.

Mardini competes in the women's 100 metre butterfly heats less than a year after she plunged into the Aegean Sea to help push a sinking boat of 20 migrants to safety.

Despite the horrors experienced by Mardini, and her sister Sarah, on their long route from Damascus through camps in Lebanon and on to Europe, she is now determined to turn the focus towards the future.

Speaking at a press conference in Rio alongside the nine other refugee athletes with whom she will march under the IOC flag at the opening ceremony on Friday, Mardini said: "A lot of things have happened in our lives that were really bad but you must remember life will not stop for you.

"There are a lot of problems in many countries but we must remember the good things and our memories and motivate ourselves. There are a lot of people who have put their hopes in us and we can't let them down."

The Germany-based Mardini is joined by Rami Anis, who also escaped from Syria, in the pool. There are two judoka, Yolande Bukasa and Popole Misenga, who have both settled in Brazil from Congo, and six track and field athletes.

Mardini said all the team's representatives are keenly aware of the opportunity to project a positive and inspiring image of refugees through their participation in Rio, but admitted sometimes she can't help thinking of home.

She added: "I want everyone to think refugees are normal people who had their homelands and lost them not because they wanted to run away and be refugees, but because they have dreams in their lives and they had to go.

"Everything is about trying to get a new and better life and by entering the stadium we are encouraging everyone to pursue their dreams.

"I really miss Damascus and I am going to go back there one day - I miss everyone there and I want them to remember me. A lot of people there forgot their dreams and I hope everyone will follow their dreams to achieve something good in the future."

PA