Syrian refugees realize Olympic dream in Tokyo
Triathlete Mohamad Maso tears up at finish line in disbelief of his accomplishment
In 2015, triathlete Mohamad Maso fled his home in Aleppo, Syria. The civil war had destroyed Maso's training facilities, and his brother, Alaa, a swimmer, was also unable to train. The two decided to flee to Europe.
Maso took only his backpack. Inside, his triathlon suit and running shoes.
He said they would go without food and sleep for days.
"It took us 12 days," Maso recalled. "First, we took a boat from Turkey to Greece. And then walk[ed] … and we arrived in the Netherlands."
Two days later, Maso said, he put on his running shoes and started training.
"People were really supportive of me to find a swimming pool or a gym, and with every small help, I picked up my sport again." said Maso.
WATCH | Brothers who fled Syria compete at the Olympics:
After a couple of years of training in Europe, the 28-year-old triathlete resurrected his dream of competing at the Olympic Games. He began training between 25-50 hours a week.
Dreams of Olympics 'not enough'
Maso competed in the Asian Games in Indonesia in 2018 and finished sixth. He followed that with an 11th place finish at the 2019 Asia Triathlon Championships in South Korea. In April, Maso finished 17th in the Asian Championships in Japan.
He was able to meet the criteria to qualify for Tokyo 2020.
"Dreaming of it is not enough," said Maso. "I have to wake up every day and work for it … when I qualified, I was unbelievably happy."
The Maso brothers eventually settled in Germany, where both ramped up their training for the Olympics.
Mohamad Maso is representing the Syrian Arab Republic in Tokyo, while Alaa Maso is competing on the Refugee Olympic Team. The 21-year-old swimmer will race in the men's 50-metre freestyle on Friday.
The most beautiful image from the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OpeningCeremony?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OpeningCeremony</a> are the two <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Syrian?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Syrian</a> brothers, who were reunited <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Olympics</a>: Alaa Maso, member of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RefugeeOlympicTeam?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RefugeeOlympicTeam</a> hugs his brother, Mo Maso. Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, the story of families torn apart is the same. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RefugeesWelcome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RefugeesWelcome</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ll9i05Vm18">pic.twitter.com/Ll9i05Vm18</a>
—@LouayKhraishBefore competition began, a photo of the Maso brothers embracing at the opening ceremony went viral on social media.
When Mohamad completed the men's triathlon event, he was an athlete in high demand among the world's media — unusual for an athlete who placed 47th out of the 49 who finished the triathlon.
Maso welcomed the opportunity to share his journey as a way to provide hope for those who may have none.
"As a kid I was watching Olympics in Syria, in Aleppo. And now I'm competing at it. I was crying at the finish line; I just cannot believe it."
When asked what his message is to those who are struggling to achieve their dreams, Maso said: "Use me as an example … you have to go out and just go. And just believe in yourself and that's enough."