Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini, a Syrian who fled across the Mediterranean, was today appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and pledged to work harder to inspire refugees around the world.

Mardini, 19, who competed in last summer’s games in Rio de Janeiro as a member of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team, said she was honoured to work with UNHCR and would dedicate her voice to speak up for people who have been forced to flee their homes.

“I could not be more proud to be part of the UNHCR family and #TeamRefugees,” Mardini told journalists at the Palais des Nations, the Geneva headquarters of the United Nations. “I want to encourage all refugees to continue with education and not stop at one point in their lives.”

Mardini, who has been granted asylum in Germany, is the youngest Goodwill Ambassador working with UNHCR. The teenager joins the likes of famed actress Cate Blanchett, celebrated author Khaled Hosseini and TV star Kristin Davis.