From Handball Star to Basketball Physio: Tali Barel Turkanytz Finds New Purpose
Translated & summarized from Davar by baba
Former Israeli handball star Tali Barel Turkanytz, whose career was ended by multiple ACL tears, has become a physiotherapist for the Maccabi Ramat Gan basketball team. She now uses her personal experience to help athletes prevent and recover from injuries.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Former handball star Tali Barel Turkanytz is now a physiotherapist.
- Multiple ACL tears ended her playing career at age 27.
- She uses her personal injury experience to help athletes.
- Turkanytz previously played professionally in Sweden.
- She works with the Maccabi Ramat Gan basketball team.
Tali Barel Turkanytz, once a rising star in Israeli handball, has transitioned to a career as a physiotherapist for the Maccabi Ramat Gan basketball team. Her promising handball career, which began at age 13 and included professional play in Sweden, was cut short at 27 due to three severe ACL tears.
Turkanytz's personal struggles with injuries ignited her passion for sports medicine. "I tried to understand why this happened to me, what I did wrong, and how I can fix it for other people, or at least try to prevent it," she stated. Despite facing two more ACL tears during her studies, she was determined to pursue physiotherapy, aiming to help athletes prevent injuries and recover from trauma.
Her handball journey saw her become the youngest player in the Israeli league at 13 and a half, and later the youngest in the national team at 14. She played professionally in Sweden, experiencing a more developed handball culture with greater media coverage and professional support systems. The transition to Sweden also involved moving in with her then-boyfriend, now husband, Ram Turkanytz, an Israeli national team handball player, a move complicated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After her first ACL tear at 24, Turkanytz faced a difficult rehabilitation, feeling irrelevant as she watched her team from the sidelines. She returned to play exceptionally well, leading her team to a championship and earning league honors, only to suffer two more ACL tears. The third tear ultimately signaled the end of her playing career.
Now, as a physiotherapist, Turkanytz leverages her firsthand experience to connect with athletes on a deeper level. She joined Maccabi Ramat Gan for her internship and impressed the staff, becoming the team's official physiotherapist. She finds fulfillment in developing athletes and preventing future injuries, stating, "Everything I do now is to develop athletes and prevent the next injury."