World Aquatics supports displaced athletes through the Aquatics Refugee Team (ART), which gives swimmers a way to continue competing from a new host country.

Among those athletes in the ART is Matin Balsini, a two-time Olympian whose journey has been defined by determination and perseverance. Born in Iran, Balsini became one of the country's leading swimmers, setting national records and making history as the first Iranian swimmer to break the two-minute barrier in the men's 200m butterfly. After seeking asylum in the United Kingdom in 2022, he rebuilt his career and went on to represent the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at Paris 2024.

Joining him on the ART is Hannaneh Afshar, whose story reflects a similar commitment to pursuing her dreams despite significant obstacles. Afshar began swimming at the age of four in Iran and quickly established herself as one of the country's top young swimmers, breaking national records from an early age. When circumstances at home made it impossible for her to pursue her Olympic ambitions, she remained determined to continue her career abroad.  She moved to Dubai before eventually being granted refugee status in Brazil, where she is rebuilding her life and pursuing her goal of competing on the world stage.

Afshar's selection is also a landmark moment for the ART, as she becomes only the second female refugee swimmer to represent the team, following Yusra Mardini, who competed on the some of the world’s biggest sporting stages – including the Olympic Games and the World Aquatics Championships.

Both swimmers left behind careers they'd built and started again somewhere new. That's what the ART exists for - not to replace what they lost, but to give them a place to keep going.