In a heartfelt Facebook post on Tuesday, former Israeli judo champion Yarden Gerbi unveiled her romantic partner, drawing acclaim for helping to destigmatize same-sex relationships.
"Love at first sight," she wrote. "Sometimes we don't know why certain things happen, perhaps it's a matter of someone blessing us or maybe it's just fate?"
"This is Dana, my partner. I fell in love with her the moment our eyes met, and our love has only grown stronger since." Gerbi, 33, is a retired judoka world champion most noted for clinching Olympic bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games and winning the gold medal at the 2013 World Judo Championships. She subsequently raised more than $50,000 for children with cancer by auctioning her Rio Games identification badge on eBay.
Gerbi retired in 2017, having accumulated 33 medals in judo competitions. In 2013 the International Judo Federation ranked her as the best judoka in her category.
She has since hosted sports shows on Israeli television and also appeared on children's shows. In 2020 she was a contestant in the Israeli version of the reality show "Survival: VIP," and reached third place. In 2021 she began hosting the Israeli adaptation of "American Ninja Warrior" where contestants compete in an obstacle course.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
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