For the past few days, some 250 cyclists have been pedaling up and down the roads of northern Israel. The ride up Mount Hermon and to the Golan Heights, and circle the Sea of Galilee. They cover 60 kilometers (37 miles) a day, or about 300 kilometers (186 miles) in an intense week of riding, especially when we consider that about 160 of them are disabled IDF veterans with various complex injuries.
The rides are part of a project called Courage in Motion, which has been active for the past 12 years. It was launched by Beit Halochem Canada, Aid to Disabled Veterans of Israel, a branch of the Zahal [IDF] Disabled Veterans Organization. Every year, a group of 100 Canadian and American Jews visit Israel for a week of tough riding "for our soldiers."
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They meet the wounded warriors, listen to their tales of battle, and experience Israel with their legs and feet.
Amit Hasdai is one of the standout Israeli cyclists. In 2001, he sustained serious wounds to his neck in a shooting in Qalqilya, which left half of his lower body paralyzed. That doesn't stop him from riding seven days a week, competitively. He has his eyes on competing in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
On Saturdays, Hasdai says, his wife, Galit, and his children join him for training.
"I couldn't do it without them," he says.
Hasdai, who uses a handcycle, enjoys every minute of his riding. Often, he leaves the North American visitors behind.
His next goal is the Olympics. He still doesn't know whether he will join the Israeli delegation to the Paralympics, but he is doing everything he can to make that dream a reality.
"There's a chance I'll make it to Tokyo, and right now I'm training for it seven days a week. Every time, we ride for kilometers," he says.
While riding, and after the rides are over, Hasdai and his friends tell the visitors what they experienced.
"I recommend that other wounded IDF vets join the rides. Riding helps you deal with the wounds, and gives you confidence. You are in a place that you could never have gotten to. Each time, you try and go beyond the limits," he says.
