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!