𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝟳 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 Teenage cyclists Itai, who lost his right eye on that nightmarish day, and Zohar, who was shot in the shoulder, returned to…
"They are amazing boys with inspiring determination" - Guy Niv admires the dedication of young cyclists caught in the Hamas ambush
OtherFriday, 17 November 2023 at 02:30
It seemed like a routine play on the track of the Velodrome in Tel Aviv: young riders circling on their bikes along the inclined walls, lap after lap. But the tears of emotion mixed with a bit of fear in the eyes of the mothers and fathers watching hinted at the immense emotional burden behind this scene.
"I have a strong and optimistic child," said Erez Cohen, pointing to his 15-year-old son Itai, who pedaled with surprising confidence considering this was his first time back on a bike just over five weeks after being injured and losing his eye in the Hamas ambush. "It was great to get back to riding. I missed it," said Itai, whose face still bears the marks of the shrapnel.
"To see 'my kids' back on bikes here in the Velodrome alongside Israel’s national team riders gives me real hope that we have begun the journey back to life. A kind of 'restart'," said coach Judith Bdolach. "They’re not themselves yet. It will take a lot to overcome the traumas that haunt them and all of us, but getting back on the bikes and especially the embrace and understanding that someone finally 'sees' them, 'counts' them, and stands behind them – this will give them the desire and motivation to return to the sport they so loved."
"They are amazing boys with inspiring determination," said Guy Niv, the first Israeli rider to finish the Tour de France. Niv visited Itai and Zohar in the hospital and yesterday met them on their first ride.
Read also
claps 0visitors 145
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- The point is obvious: MVDP can beat Tadej on CX/Road and Tadej cannot. What is so hard to understand???averagecyclist22-12-2024
- Funny... one doper enabler backing the doper he enabled ! Who would have guessed.frieders322-12-2024
- Wouldn’t be here if I wasn’tMistermaumau22-12-2024
- So you're bored, got itvappaxbipmv22-12-2024
- Does everything need to have a point? If so, 99% of the internet should be wiped away. In relation to recent articles with quotes from other riders, my statement points to the ever more obvious reason why they are asked to comment on the effect of his return.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- If anyone would be interested enough to launch an official survey as to who out of these three should shut up, I don’t know who’d win but I’m due Boonen would be way back in 3rd place.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- And your point is what exactly?vappaxbipmv22-12-2024
- MVDP dominates this sport even more than Pogaçar dominates road racing. Also he can beat Tadej on the road quite regularly, the opposite is unlikely.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- If you listen to team radios you'll hear each DS telling their riders to ride faster, fight their way to the front, and all occupy the same 8 places.Sweep22-12-2024
- You're talking about a sport where equipment and clothing is measured in grams.Sweep22-12-2024