Like every swimmer out there, we’re excited to see what happens in the water at the Paris Olympics this summer. But this year, we’ve got even more reason to be excited: Because we’re now the sponsors of two Olympic swimmers!
It’s a huge honour to get to support these elite athletes as they train and compete, and we can’t wait to work together with them both — to share their journeys and their progress, and help promote inclusivity in the sport.
Here’s what you need to know about SOUL CAP and the 2024 Olympics:
Who are the swimmers?
Earlier this year, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) named 36 athletes from 11 countries to the Refugee Olympic Team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. That team includes two swimmers: Alaa Maso and Matin Balsini. We’re proud to be supporting them both as they train and compete on the world’s stage of swimming.
Alaa Maso
Alaa is a 24-year-old swimmer and triathlete from Aleppo, Syria, who first learned to swim at four years old with his father (a swimming coach). This year’s Paris Games will be his second appearance at the Olympics after competing at Tokyo 2020 in the 50m freestyle.
Back in 2015, with Syria in civil war and Aleppo a major battleground, Alaa was struggling for months without swim training. His training facilities became damaged, and his dreams of pursuing a career in swimming were in jeopardy.
He made the tough decision to leave Syria — and after a long journey to Europe, he’s been settled in Germany for the last eight years.
Matin Balsini
Matin is a 23-year-old swimmer from Iran who earned his place on the national team at the age of just 15. He’s also set to become a two-time Olympian this year, after representing Iran at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
In 2022, Matin left Iran to seek asylum, eventually settling in Surrey, UK, where he’s been training at Guildford Swimming Club. Despite a seven-month break from training as a result of the stresses of asylum, Matin was still able to qualify for the Paris 2024 Games — where he hopes to beat his personal best in the 200m butterfly.
How are we helping?
As well as directly supporting Alaa and Matin as they train and compete, we’ll be sharing their stories and successes with the swim community across the globe in the weeks ahead. We’ll also be taking a trip to Paris to watch them in action — and cheer them on from the stands!
What does this mean for the swim community?
Matin and Alaa have overcome so many obstacles on their journey to the Olympics — both in and out of the water. But despite those struggles, they’ve kept pushing for their goals.
They’ve become a symbol of inclusivity in swimming, and proof that everyone has a place in the sport — no matter where they call home, or how they got to where they are. And those are the kinds of values we stand for here at SOUL CAP.
This new partnership with two extraordinary swimmers isn’t just a chance to show our support: It’s a chance to show the world that the water’s open — and that barriers are made to be broken.