בשבוע שחלף התקיימה תחרות גביע צפון אמריקה במזחלת קרח (Bobsled & Skeleton) הבינלאומית, שנערכה ביוטה ובה לקחו חלק עשרה ספורטאים נוספים, מישראל, ארה"ב, קנדה ואירלנד, ביניהם ג'ון דאלי, שזכה פעמיים במדליית זהב באולימפיאדת החורף בארה"ב. הספורטאי ג'ארד פיירסטון (הוליווד, פלורידה) המכונה בקרב מתחריו "המטוס היהודי", הביא גאווה ישראלית, כאשר זכה במדליית ארד.
"Athlete Jared Firestone of Hollywood earned Israel’s first-ever podium finish in the sport of skeleton when he won a bronze medal at the IBSF (International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation) North American Cup in Park City, UT."
"Despite the Summer Olympics being postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19, the training must go on for those preparing for next summer’s rescheduled Games, as well as those with their eyes set on the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. One local South Floridian is doing just that."
“He comes to us with a pretty impressive sprint background. He’s probably our first and only true sprinter. He comes from a track and field background and we’ve never had an athlete like that before competing for us, so we’re excited about that. As he was part of the U.S. development program, he’s not learning this sport, so he’s actually ready to jump in and compete. We’re super pleased.”
"Firestone saw the winter sport Skeleton...and decided life was too short to bury his face in Torts and Constitutional Law books - instead it should be buried in ice as he slider under 5-G's of pressure at 80 miles per hour!"
“Clean runs are few and far between, especially when you are first starting out,” Firestone says. “Your arms are exposed off the sides and the ice on the walls is not smooth like the ice on a rink, and there are some pretty serious cuts and bruises, but I’ve been pretty lucky . . . so far so good.”
But it was a failure of luck, Firestone says, that brought him to such a busy crossroad.
In this Q&A with my alma mater, Scheck Hillel Community School, I discuss the important role my Jewish education has played in my career path, the honor of donning the Star of David as I compete in countries that tried their best to prevent that from ever happening, and give a reading recommendation for those looking to combat anti-semitic/anti-Israel rhetoric.
