The Story of
Elay Chayot
Photographed with Nir Barkat
A Magellan fighter, he specialized in long runs and was an Israeli champion and combat fighter until a serious injury changed his life.
In 2018 and as part of a tradition in the Magellan unit, Aley jumped out of a Hummer vehicle during training on the orders of his commanders, was seriously injured. After two weeks of fighting for his life in intensive care, he was confined to a wheelchair.
Since the injury, Ilay, the fighter and athlete, devoted himself to lectures to thousands of IDF soldiers, to organizations and sports teams, schools and pre-military preparatory schools where he conveys his optimistic message. In his lecture, Ilay describes that the injury was caused "like jumping into a pool without water." Today, Ilay is a paralymipc tennis player. He represents the country in the uniform of the Israeli national team. In the past year, he has made tremendous progress and managed to rank 28th in the world for Paralympic tennis players. His motto is "Not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow - now is the best time."
Photo: Eitan Bernat
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