The Big Race!

After months of training an preparation the Triathlon was finally here! It was an early morning with a 6am start. Team USA had a strong showing, Gabi took gold in the men's 20-24 age group and Bri finished third overall and took gold in her age group as well. On a hot day all US men placed in the top 25 overall. We are looking forward to a relaxing few days before the closing ceremonies

Half Marathon/10k Run

The half marathon and 10k run were last night and the Americans showed in in force. The US brought home gold in the mens and womens 10k run along with a silver and bronze in the womens half marathon and gold and silver in the mens half. We will be moving to Tiberias to prepare for the triathlon that will take place on Friday morning. Both Gabi and Ari ran the half marathon even though they are on the triathlon team and both had strong finishes!

Opening Ceremonies!!!

Last night we were able to take part in the opening ceremonies of the 19th World Maccabiah Games in Jerusalem last night. The US delegation walking in with over 1000 athletes and along side over 50 other countries from Hong Kong to the Bahamas. This was absolutely one of the most memorable moments of our lives. Check out the Pictures and Videos of out team below...

First days of Training and Adventures

We have been in Israel for a few days now so posting some pictures are over due. Wi fi has even tough to come by but here the are. We've had some great days training at the Israeli National Training Center and riding around Israel. We even swam with the Israeli National swim team this morning. So far we have toured around Tel-Aviv, climbed through caves and of course the Old City of Jerusalem. Tomorrow we look forward to hiking up Masada and swimming in the Dead Sea. 

Last Minute Preparations...

       After months of training and preparation, we are finally only hours away from leaving for one of the best experiences of our lives. Our team will be leaving from both Newark, NJ and Los Angeles, CA as we head toward our final destination of Tel Aviv, Israel. Recent days have been quite stressful as we've been coordinating packing clothes and bikes and other equipment, but this is a very exciting time for our team as none of us have been able to meet each other. Over the past few months we have been coordinating workouts, what to bring and other race details in our Facebook group but to finally be able to meet each other is a very exciting time.
       We have no idea what to expect one we land and see the swarm of athletes from the US and from around the world. Our journey will being with the IsraelConnect program which will take place the first week we get there. The program is designed for teammates to get to know each other better through various days trips and tours around the country. Swimming in the Dead Sea and hiking up Masada will be some of the most exciting parts. With time to train every morning, this is the perfect way to acclimate to the environment and stay loose before the Maccabiah Opening Ceremony on July 17th. Stay tuned for more updates and LOTS of pictures as our adventures are about to begin!

Designated U.S. Olympic Committee Multi-Sport Organization

Maccabi USA (MUSA), the national organization of the Maccabi World Union that organizes the U.S. team for the World Maccabiah Games, has been selected by the United States Olympic Committee as a Multi-Sport Organization  partner. The nonprofit organization becomes one of 35 MSOs nationwide to be recognized by the USOC for its ability to cultivate a national interest in sport and increase opportunities for participation internationally, nationally and at the grassroots level.  

"The USOC is pleased to welcome Maccabi USA to its family of Multi-Sport Organizations," said Alicia McConnell, USOC director of athlete services and programs. "Maccabi USA's efforts are a terrific example of how to enhance participation in sport at the national and international levels, and we look forward to working together to add more opportunities in the years to come."     

 "We, at Maccabi USA, are proud and honored with this recognition by the USOC," said Maccabi USA President Ron Carner. "We want to thank the USOC for acknowledging the effort required to organize the U.S. team's participation in the World Maccabiah Games - the world's third largest international sports competition."   

19th Maccabiah Triathlon Course Map

Time is ticking down and the race is quickly approaching. The Race Map and details have been announced. The race will start at 5:55am so as to avoid the excessive heat that can occur during the Israeli summers. The course is expected to be challenging yet beautiful at the same time. The race is being held at Sironit Beach and the sun will be rising over the Sea of Galilee while we are on the bike course, but we dont want the surrounding beauty to distract us from our goal of bringing a medal back to the United States!

Race Officials:

        Race Director: Michael Katz

        Head Race Referee: Uri Tzalach

        Technical Delegate: Esti Avskar

        Competition Jury: Estie Avskar, Idan Sandask and Doron Amir

"Clothes make the man..."

Putting on the red, white and blue uniform is the first thing all athletes look forward to when they first find out they are representing the United States. It doesnt really set in that you represent the whole country until you put on those colors and a chill comes across your skin, then it all sinks in. The jerseys have just been released for the Maccabi USA Triathlon/Cycling team and they are quite stylish. There is a common phrase in the triathlon community, that says "you have to look fast to be fast", but I think in the case of the Maccabi Triathlon team the phase is "we are fast and look good". We would like to thank Hincapie for designing our custom jerseys.

My Maccabi by Dan Seidler

I grew up hearing stories about the Maccabiah Games from my father. He was born in Haifa, came to the US in 1960 and played for the US Soccer team in the 1969 and 1973 Maccabiah Games. As a kid, I would wear his USA Soccer warm-up jacket while kicking a soccer ball around the house. I’d make believe I was on the team, scoring important goals in big games.

When I was 16 I represented Long Island, NY at the North American Maccabi Games in Toronto. We won the gold, beating the team from Mexico in the finals. I went on to play college soccer at the University of Vermont and had hopes of finally representing the United States in the 1993 games before incurring a ski accident in Colorado during the winter of 1992.

I hadn’t thought much about the Maccabiah in the past 20 years until Rabbi Darren Levine invited me to a meeting with Jeff Bukantz and Ron Carner from the Executive Office to discuss the US Triathlon team. Memories flashed through my mind. Stories my father used to tell me - I think his team lost every game both times he played - but each time was a special part of his life. I felt an attachment to Maccabiah. I wanted to be a part of this. I considered being a Masters athlete, but that wasn’t going to work out this summer. Fortunately, the opportunity to chair the Open team was offered to me and we were off and running.

I’ve met so many great people so far on this journey and I expect that will continue. Darren and I have had numerous conversations with past athletes, coaches and chairmen. They’ve been so supportive and helpful. We couldn’t have gotten this far without them. Our captains, Chad and Heather are passionate triathletes and experienced organizers. They want nothing more than to make this experience a tremendous success for the entire USA Triathlon team.

Join me in wishing the teams the best of luck. Support them in any way you can by either donating to the team, rooting along the way, or just by following their progress in this blog.Together we expect the entire team to train hard, perform their best and have an experience in Israel that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Dan Seidler - Maccabi USA Open Triathlon Team Chair

1132 Strong!

Jeff Bukantz, General Chairman, 19^th Maccabiah USA Organizing Committee, announced this week, the appointment of the USA Team to compete at the Games in Israel, July 18 - 30. The Team, over 1130 strong, will be the largest traveling delegation EVER to travel from the USA to compete in an International Olympic Committee-sanctioned event. There will be an additional group of over 300 friends and family that will travel with Maccabi USA to cheer on the Team.

 "I have been absolutely humbled by the incredible work of the hundreds of volunteers that have been working diligently over the last few years to recruit and organize the Team," said Bukantz. "To organize a Team this large and its support staff is just an awesome achievement! Our Sports Chairmen have done an outstanding job to enable this Team of Jewish athletes the opportunity to participate in the Maccabiah Games and experience the culture and beauty of Israel. As a former athlete, I know firsthand the feeling of amazement the Team will feel from the moment they step off the plane, and I am so proud to have the opportunity to march into the Opening Ceremony with such a talented group of athletes."

As of today, there are 1132 Jewish American athletes and coaches that will comprise Team USA.  They come from 37 States, the District of Columbia and Israel. 

Team USA includes athletes and alumni of many of the top colleges and universities in the country, including all eight Ivy League schools, MIT, Stanford and Northwestern. The USA Team is comprised of 82 Open, Juniors, Youth, Paralympic, Masters and Grand Masters divisional teams participating in 31 different sports. Olympian Garrett Weber-Gale will participate as a member of the Open Swim Team. Other professional athletes include Zach Test of the USA Rugby 7's Team; Zac Rosen and Bryan Cohen, both playing Basketball for Israel; Eric Nystrom, left winger for the NHL Dallas Stars, will be the assistant coach for the Open Ice Hockey Team; Bruce Fleisher, Golfer on the PGA Champions Tour, will coach the Open Golf team; and retired NBA athlete Danny Schayes will coach the Masters Men's 35+ Basketball Team.

The Maccabiah Games are about more than sports competition.  They are an opportunity for Jewish athletes from around the world to convene in Israel for an elite athletic competition and to explore their common culture and heritage in the historic Jewish Homeland. The Open, Juniors and Youth divisions of Team USA arrive in Israel one week in advance of the Games to participate in the ISRAEL CONNECT (IC) cultural and educational program that is unique to Maccabi USA. The IC program provides these athletes with the opportunity to tour the historic and religious sites of Israel as members of Team USA so they can bond with each other, their culture and Heritage and experience the magic and beauty of Israel.

"We take athletes that happen to be Jewish, to compete in the Maccabiah Games," Bukantz commented. "But we return home with Jewish athletes who have a renewed sense of pride in their Judaism and increased support for the State of Israel."

The Maccabiah Games are the third largest international sporting event in the world, after the Summer Olympics and the Pan Am Games.  There will be over 8,500 participants from 70 countries at the 19^th World Maccabiah Games.