For the first time in Olympics history, a team of refugee athletes will band together in Rio de Janeiro this August to represent the 20 million people in the world who have no one country to call home.

The 10 athletes ― two swimmers, two judokas and six runners ― come from all over the world. They speak different languages and have different stories. But at recent press conferences, it has become clear that the men and women who comprise the team are united in a simple, yet powerful message they hope to get across to the world ― a message perhaps best put by Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini.

“We still are humans. We are not only refugees,” Mardini said. “We are like everyone in the world … We didn’t choose to leave our homelands.”

Originally from Damascus, Syria, Mardini and her sister, Sarah, found themselves with other refugees in Turkish waters inside an overcrowded boat when it started to leak. Many inside the boat couldn’t swim, so Mardini, her sister and another refugee got in the water and started to push the sinking boat all the way to the Greek island of Lesbos.