Is ‘The Swimmers’ A True Story? This Netflix Movie Is Going Viral For All Good Reason

Some of the best series and movies on Netflix are biopics, wherein real people and incidents get the spotlight, and make a great watch. Many have watched The Swimmers, a 2022 sports drama film by Sally el Hosanini, which has been rated 7.4 out of 10 on IMDb. Many are asking “Is the Swimmers a true story”, and the answer is yes.

The Swimmers is a true story about two professional sister swimmers Yusra and Sara Mardini. The Syrian sisters fled the civil war in Syria and fell into the media limelight after they defied their lives to save fellow asylum seekers in the chilling cold waters of the Aegean Sea. No one could have survived this feat., but the Mardini sisters did and filmmakers rushed to depict their lives on the golden screen.

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When initially approached by producers for a film, Yusra declined saying she wanted to focus her energy into the Rio Olympics. She shared that some producers told her that no one would be interested in her story after the 2016 Summer Games. But Yusra was determined to focus on the competition, adamant that her story could wait.

The Swimmers Viral on Netflix

But the Mardini sisters’ story got made into a dramatic, adventure-filled biopic and released on Netflix in September 2022. They are still trying to come to terms that a movie has been made about their life. Yusra is proud that Sara Mardini is her Syrian sister. She said they have been there for each other through thick and thin.

They competed at Rio Olympics through the Refugee Olympic Team. Yusra is a proud advocate for refugees and is grateful the The Swimmers, which went viral on Netflix, highlighted their plight and showed it to the world.

The Swimmers is a true story about the Mardini sisters who embarked on a journey to Germany, first by a plane to Turkey from Syria and via an overcrowded dinghy from Greece. The Syrian sisters used their swimming and lifeguard skills to save fellow refugees.