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DUBAI: Syrian Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini is set to attend the fourth annual Geneva Watch Days (GWD) fair, which runs until Sept. 2, with the Swiss watch brand Oris.
Mardini is the brand’s latest ambassador.
“Get to know the incredible story of our latest ambassador,” the brand wrote on Instagram sharing a short introduction about Mardini.
“Yusra’s inspiring story (is about) overcoming adversity, after fleeing the Syrian civil war, by qualifying for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team,” the label wrote, adding that “Yusra, an official UNHCR goodwill ambassador, is passionate about bringing change to people’s lives and it’s a joy to be partnering with her and the Yusra Mardini Foundation as part of our mission to bring change for the better.”
Oris was founded by Paul Cattin and Georges Christian in Hölstein, Switzerland, in 1904. The luxury brand makes mechanical watches with designs that pay homage to the history of watchmaking.
Unlike the past three years, this year’s GWD fair will be open to the public. There will be guided tours which will allow watch enthusiasts to discover brands’ new releases.
The first GWD fair took place in the 2020 and was created by the brands Breitling, Bvlgari, De Bethune, Gérald Genta, H. Moser & Cie., MB&F, Ulysse Nardin and Urwerk.
After sharing her story with the world in the BAFTA-nominated Netflix documentary “The Swimmers,” Mardini turned her focus to her non-profit work and launched the Yusra Mardini Foundation, which Oris will work with.
Dedicated to advancing access to sports and education for refugee communities around the world, as well as directly supporting refugee athletes, the foundation’s aim is to advocate for the rights of refugees.
Mardini spoke to Arab News in February about her studies and her plans for the organization.
“I am studying in a university here in California called University of Southern California and I am studying film and production,” she said at the time. “I am doing a lot of activities in the fashion domain, and I have a non-profit organization and I am doing something with the UNHCR and I am also studying, so generally I am happy with my life.”
