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Moran Samuel

Moran Samuel[2] (Hebrew: מורן סמואל; April 24, 1982) is an Israeli paralympic basketball player and world champion rower. She was chosen to light a ceremonial torch on Israel's Independence Day in 2019.[1] She represented Israel at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. She won a gold medal competing for Israel at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in the Women's single sculls.

Moran Samuel
מורן סמואל
Personal information
NationalityIsraeli
Born (1982-04-24) 24 April 1982 (age 42)
Karmiel, Israel
EducationPhysiotherapy
Alma materUniversity of Haifa, Israel
OccupationAthlete
SpouseWife Limor Samuel Goldberg[1]
Sport
Country Israel
SportRowing
DisabilityPR1
ClubDaniel Rowing Centre [Tel Aviv, ISR]
Coached byPaola Grizzetti [personal], ITA
Achievements and titles
Paralympic finalsWinning silver in the arms only single sculls at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo
World finalsthe 2015 Para Athlete of the Year by World Rowing
Medal record
Women's rowing
Representing  Israel
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris PR1W1x
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo ASW1x
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro ASW1x
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Aiguebelette ASW1x
Silver medal – second place 2014 Amsterdam ASW1x
Silver medal – second place 2017 Sarasota PR1W1x
Silver medal – second place 2018 Plovdiv PR1W1x
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Bled ASW1x
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Ottensheim PR1W1x
World Rowing Cup
Gold medal – first place 2015 Varese ASW1x
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Munich ASW1x
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Poznań ASW1x
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 2023 Bled PR1W1x

Early life

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Samuel grew up in Karmiel, Israel, in a Jewish family. She began playing basketball in her hometown. During her military service in the Israeli Air Force, she was an outstanding athlete enrolled in a program that permits top athletes to complete their mandatory service while representing the country in sports as well; after her service, she played on the Israel women's national basketball team.[3][4]

In 2006, Samuel suffered a spinal stroke[5] and became paralyzed in her lower body. After she recovered, she completed her academic studies at Haifa University and became a physical therapist,[6] and then worked with the Paralympic Sports Association team on the re-establishment of the Israeli women's basketball team on wheelchairs.

Sports career

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Basketball

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Samuel in 2016

Playing with the national women's basketball team, she qualified for the European Wheelchair Basketball Championship, held in Nazareth in 2011, and simultaneously joined the Beit HaLohem[3] team in Tel Aviv, with Samuel being the sole woman in an all-male team.[7] Beit LaLohem won the double championship in 2011. In 2013, she played for Israel at the European Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Frankfurt, with the team finishing in the seventh place overall. At this competition, she was voted one of the five best players in Europe titled "All Star Team".[8]

Rowing

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Samuel switched to Para rowing because she wanted to represent Israel at the Paralympic Games.[1]

As part of her paralympic sport activities, and as suggested by her life partner, also a rower,[5] Samuel started to train in rowing in 2010 and represented Israel at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games in London, finishing fifth. Earlier that year, she won a race in single scull competition at the Adaptive Rowing Regatte in Gavirate, Italy, but the organizers did not have a copy of the Hatikva, Israel's national anthem; she asked for the microphone and sang it instead.[9] In 2015, she won the gold medal at the World Cup event in Lake Varese,[10] defeating the reigning world champion, Norwegian rower Birgit Skarstein.

At the 2015 World Rowing Championships held in Lac d'Aiguebelette, France, Samuel won the gold medal in the women's AS single sculls,[11] thus earning a spot at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.[12] Also, she received the bronze medal in June 2016 at the World Rowing Cup in Poznań.[13]

Samuel took part in the torch-lighting ceremony at the 2017 Maccabiah Games in July 2017.[14]

Samuel won the silver medal in the arms-only single sculls at the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo.[15] It was after setting her personal best record in the repechage the day before.[1]

2024 Paris Paralympics

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She won a gold medal competing for Israel at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in the Women's single sculls.[16][17] She said: "we started today with terrible news [referencing the killing of six hostages in Gaza... and three police officers in the West Bank]... I told myself, ‘Moran, this is due to, this is because of and this is despite'” the difficult situation facing Israel at home. It’s a privilege to be here in this bubble at the Paralympic Games, and to finish with a gold medal — and to be able to scream the anthem from deep inside me is a moment I’ll never forget in my life... I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to sing the anthem… I hope everyone comes home."[17]

Personal life

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Samuel is a lesbian.[18] She and her wife have 2 children.[1][19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Athletics SAMUEL Moran". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 24 August 2021. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  2. ^ World Rowing. "Moran Samuel". Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  3. ^ a b Moran Samuel: Paralympic rower, part-time basketball champ. Jerusalem Post
  4. ^ "Moran Samuel: Paralympic rower, part-time basketball champ". The Jerusalem Post. 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  5. ^ a b Tales of tragedy, trauma and inspiration behind Israel’s Paralympic medal hopes. Times of Israel timesofisrael Retrieved 17 August 2021
  6. ^ "Moran Samuel". www.wizo.org. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  7. ^ Moran Samuel. WIZO
  8. ^ Llegó el final del Campeonato de Europa BSR. ¡¡¡SOMOS BRONCE!!! Crónica. Archived 21 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
  9. ^ "Champion rower can sing, too". Times of Israel. 2012-05-04. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  10. ^ "Israeli paralympic rower Moran Samuel wins gold medal at World Cup". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Moran Samuel named Female Athlete of the Year at Israeli Paralympic Committee annual awards". insidethegames.biz. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Moran Samuel clinches right to represent Israel in Rio; goes for Worlds medal". Archived from the original on 27 December 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Sport Week: Samuel balances motherhood, training". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Ervin, Gilot To Participate In Torch Lighting At Maccabiah Games". SwimSwam. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Rowing - Final A Results". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 29 August 2021. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  16. ^ Rakovsky, Ido (2024-08-29). "Paris 2024 Paralympics: The Israeli Athletes to Look Out For". Haaretz.
  17. ^ a b "Rowers take gold, bronze as Israel continues to rack up Paralympic medals; Champ Moran Samuel says the day, like the year, held mixed emotions; Druze rower Saleh Shahin, wounded in 2005 Gaza border terror attack, says he wanted to bring some ‘light’ to nation," The Times of Israel.
  18. ^ "Israeli lesbian rower set for Paralympics". 5 September 2016.
  19. ^ "Paralympic Rowing Medallist and Mother of Three – Moran Samuel on Uniting Two Lives". European Championships. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
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