As the Winter Paralympics begin, I find myself reflecting on the resilience of Israel’s athletes – and the country they represent.

This week, as the Winter Paralympic Games open in Cortina, Italy, Israel will be represented by a single athlete on the snow: Para-alpine skier Sheina Vaspi. In a period when Israeli society continues to face profound challenges, her presence on the starting line carries significance far beyond sport. It represents resilience, determination, and the enduring spirit of the Paralympic movement.

Vaspi’s story is remarkable in several ways. A religious woman from the Chabad community, she competes as a standing Para-alpine skier in the LW2 category, skiing on one leg. At the Milano–Cortina Winter Paralympics she is scheduled to compete across multiple disciplines, including giant slalom, slalom, downhill, super-G, and alpine combined. Vaspi previously made history at the 2022 Beijing Games as Israel’s first-ever Winter Paralympian, competing in the giant slalom. As an observant Orthodox Jew, she competes in a skirt and does not race on Shabbat — a commitment that reflects the unique balance she maintains between elite sport and religious life.

Her participation also reflects the diversity of Israel’s Paralympic movement, which brings together athletes from many communities — Jewish, Arab, and Druze — who proudly represent the country together on the international stage.

The Olympic and Paralympic cycle spans four years — four years of discipline, consistency, precision, and belief. It is a long process in which daily effort gradually shapes performance and legacy. Yet this particular cycle, from Paris 2024 to Los Angeles 2028, is unfolding during one of the most difficult periods in Israel’s modern history.

Since October 7, Israeli society has been living through profound trauma and uncertainty. In this context, the presence of Israeli athletes on the global stage carries meaning that goes far beyond competition.

As Muts Matalon, Chairman of the Israel Paralympic Committee, noted ahead of the Games:

“Especially in these days, when Israel is fighting for its very existence, our athletes’ presence on the Paralympic stage — and the Israeli flag raised high — is a source of national pride and hope.

“Especially in these days, when Israel is fighting for its very existence, our athletes’ presence on the Paralympic stage — and the Israeli flag raised high — is a source of national pride and hope.

Within Israel itself, the Paralympic community has taken on an additional and deeply important role. Since the outbreak of the war, rehabilitation through sport has once again become a central mission.

Across rehabilitation centers and sports clubs, wounded soldiers and civilians are beginning long journeys of recovery. Through swimming, wheelchair basketball, rowing, athletics, and other disciplines, sport helps rebuild strength, confidence, and independence. The process is not only physical but psychological and social, restoring a sense of agency and possibility.

Israel has a long history of integrating sport into rehabilitation. In fact, the country played a pioneering role in the early development of the global Paralympic movement, when injured veterans began rebuilding their lives through sport in the years following Israel’s early wars. Many of the systems that now support Paralympic sport worldwide were influenced by these early Israeli experiences.

That legacy continues today.

The rehabilitation programs now underway may also shape the future of Israel’s Paralympic team. Some of the individuals discovering sport as part of their recovery today may eventually become competitive athletes. While the journey from rehabilitation to elite performance is long and demanding, history has shown that such transformations are possible.

It is not impossible to imagine that some of those beginning their recovery today could one day represent Israel on the Paralympic stage — perhaps even at the Games in Los Angeles in 2028.

The Paralympic movement, after all, does more than produce champions. It creates pathways for resilience, dignity, and renewed purpose.

For Israel, the Paralympic movement embodies values that are urgently needed today: perseverance, solidarity, and belief in the potential of every individual.

Israeli Paralympic athletes have consistently achieved remarkable success on the world stage despite the country’s small size and limited resources. Their achievements reflect decades of commitment, professional excellence, and a deep belief that sport can transform lives.

Yet medals alone are not the true measure of the Paralympic movement.

Each athlete represents a story — of injury and recovery, struggle and determination, personal courage and collective support. Together, these stories form a narrative that resonates far beyond the arena.

At the same time, the Paralympics story must also reach the next generation.

When children encounter narratives of athletes who overcame physical obstacles, personal adversity, and social barriers, they begin to understand that resilience is not simply an abstract concept — it is a human capacity that can be developed and shared.

As preparations begin for the Paralympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, Israeli athletes are embarking on the long journey of training, qualification, and international competition that defines the four-year cycle.

The road to Los Angeles will not be easy. But if the history of Israel’s Paralympic movement teaches us anything, it is that resilience can transform adversity into strength.

For now, that journey begins with a single athlete standing at the top of a snowy slope in Cortina.

When Sheina Vaspi pushes off from the starting gate, she carries more than her own determination. She carries the hopes of a diverse Paralympic community — Jewish, Arab, and Druze athletes who represent Israel together — and the belief that sport can help individuals and societies rebuild after hardship.

And when the Israeli flag rises in the Paralympic arena, it will symbolize far more than athletic achievement. It will represent courage, recovery, and the enduring belief that even in the most difficult times, human determination can light the path forward.

The author is the Honorary President of the Israeli Paralympic Committee and a longtime advocate for using sport to advance resilience, inclusion, and social change.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)