For Tiranvalipour, becoming an Olympian is one thing, but serving as a role model and example for refugees around the world carries just as much significance.

“A refugee athlete is nothing like a normal athlete,” he admits. “They have a really difficult life, and we are far away from our family. I want to be at the Olympics to represent 120 million people. I know life for refugees and displaced people are so difficult, so I want to be a good example.

“We don’t have a flag, but we have 120 million people behind us, so we have to represent all of them. If you have a dream, you have to keep going. This is our responsibility to tell them.”

The Refugee Olympic Team not only gives refugees the opportunity to compete at the highest sporting level despite their challenges faced, but allows refugees to be represented in new lights.

Just because they are displaced, it does not mean that they cannot be world-class athletes, as Tiranvalipour hopes to prove. His message to refugees is simple: “If you have a dream, if you have a target, if you have a purpose, you have to keep going.”