Sports are more than just a game. They have the ability to create immense levels of happiness and also unworldly levels of disappointment. However, the most important thing they have the ability to do is use their platform to create joy.
This year, for the first time ever, Israel is fielding a bobsled team in the Olympics. There has recently been significant violence and bloodshed in and around Israel, and not much joy has come out of the area. This group of four athletes is doing what they can to change that, despite significant setbacks.
The team, self-labeled “Schul Runnings,” for the movie about the 1988 Jamaican team in the same sport, the team is led by three-time Olympian AJ Edelman, the first Israeli man to qualify for two different sports, also qualifying and medaling in the skeleton in 2018 and 2022. He is joined by Ward Fawarseh, Menachem Chen, Uri Zisman, and Omer Katz. Fawarseh is the first Druze Olympian ever.
While the team has mostly been received positively, they were unfortunately robbed recently. The thieves took passports, money, clothing, and suitcases. However, Edelman and the rest of the team are doing their best to stay positive.
In a recent interview with The Algemeiner, Edelman said, “I truly believe it is something that this is something that could have such a huge positive impact. … As for the people who want to kick us out, I just don’t pay much attention to it. Who has time for the haters?”
Even though they are not the favorites, the “chosen frozen” will do everything they can to spread messages of hope throughout their time in Milan.
