GWANGJU, South Korea (AP) — Refugee swimmer Yusra Mardini knows what she's talking about when it comes to family separation for asylum seekers, having fled her native Syria four years ago. Mardini empathizes with families currently separated along the U.S. southern border. "This is the most terrible thing anyone can have — to live without a mom or to live without a family," she said Sunday at the world swimming championships where she's competing as an independent athlete. Mardini originally made headlines three years ago at the Rio de Janeiro Games where she swam for the inaugural Refugee Olympic Team. In 2015, she and her sister had escaped conflict in their homeland when the boat they were aboard with other refugees began sinking.Read more on NewsOK.com