IDF Officer With 70% Disability Wins Third Place in Mr. Israel Competition
Translated & summarized from Channel 13 by baba
Or Michaeli, an Israeli military officer with a 70% disability from a pre-enlistment injury, won third place in the Mr. Israel bodybuilding competition. Despite severe leg damage, multiple surgeries, and a long rehabilitation, Michaeli enlisted in the IDF and completed an officers' course. He now lectures injured soldiers and athletes, aiming to inspire them to overcome adversity.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- IDF officer Or Michaeli, with a 70% disability, won third place in the Mr. Israel bodybuilding competition.
- Michaeli sustained a severe leg injury before his IDF enlistment, requiring multiple surgeries and rehabilitation.
- Despite his disability, Michaeli enlisted in the IDF and completed an officers' course.
- He stated that people can create their own reality regardless of hardship.
- Michaeli now lectures injured soldiers and athletes to help them overcome challenges.
Or Michaeli, an Israeli military officer with a 70% disability, achieved an inspiring feat by securing third place in the "Mr. Israel" bodybuilding competition. Michaeli sustained a severe leg injury just before his military enlistment, which led to extensive surgeries and a prolonged rehabilitation process. Despite his injury, he was determined to serve in the IDF, successfully enlisting and completing an officers' course.
Michaeli described his philosophy in an interview, stating, "No matter what happens to us in life, the moment we decide that nothing will break us, we take all the broken pieces, turn them into a ladder, and move forward." His strong will is rooted in his upbringing, which instilled deep values and a desire to serve in an elite unit.
However, his dreams were shattered just before his enlistment when he suffered a complex injury. He underwent multiple surgeries and a difficult recovery, facing significant physical and emotional pain. His injured leg and future in the military and sports were uncertain. "They didn't listen to my pain," he recounted. "The moment they discovered it was something unusual, I was sent to the hospital where Dr. Rabin saved my leg and said I was in mortal danger."
Michaeli explained his motivation for participating in the competition: "I am going into this field precisely to show that there is no limit to the reality we can create for ourselves, no matter how hard we fall." He now gives lectures to soldiers and athletes who have been injured, aiming to help them overcome their difficulties and get back on their feet, seeing it as his mission.