The 2016 Summer Olympics mark the beginning of opportunity and hope for the team of ten refugees and athletes that competed this year for the first time in Olympic history. The team includes five medium-distance runners, two judo competitors, two swimmers, and a marathon runner.

Hailing from Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Syria, the refugee team members faced lives of adversity and persecution before making it to Rio De Janeiro for the Olympics. From fleeing war zones in Kenya at a young age, to nearly drowning in small inflatable boats to escape oppression in their home countries, Team Refugee demonstrated courage and determination long before the Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) made it a priority to bring attention to the refugee crisis currently affecting countries all around the globe. The IOC offers Olympic Scholarships for Athletes, a program intended to aid athletes with the greatest needs, especially the newfounded refugee team.

Brazilian street artists honored them by painting a mural of every member to showcase the legacy of the first ever refugee team of athletes in the Olympic Games. No medals were won this year, but the symbol of hope they provided in the midst of a worldwide refugee crisis is a feat like no other.