Six months have passed since that amazing and special day in Tokyo, where my teammates from Israel and I won the bronze medal in the group competition.
It was a challenging day, with huge battles I will never forget.
Digesting a mega-event like the Olympics is time consuming, and very difficult to explain in words.
I guess only those who have taken part in them can understand the intensity of the experience.
I returned to Israel, and for the first three months after winning I hardly practiced, because there was simply not a single minute to breathe.
I have delivered many lectures across the country, to different and diverse audiences, in which I have shared on the road and the tools.
There were also lots of media interviews, and of course I took advantage of those moments for real quality time with my wife, family and friends after five very intense years.
The body, as well as the mind, had to rest and recover from the crazy race to Tokyo.
In early October I returned to the training mat at Wingate, with increasing intensity, with the aim of opening the campaign to Paris 2024. The games seem far away, but no, they are just around the corner.
A shorter-than-usual campaign, of three years, when in practice there were only two and a half years left until the opening.
The process of returning to peak fitness is a process I am working on with the amazing team that accompanies me, led by the coach of the men's team, Oren Samadja.
Plachik and Samadja with a bronze medal from Tokyo, Photo: Alan Shiver
Two weeks ago I boarded the plane to Paris to compete in the prestigious Grand Slam, and I was so excited.
I waited for the return to the competitions, the hall, the audience (20,000 French spectators) and the vigilance.
The day of the competition came, and so did the tension, alongside the pleasure and reconnection to the gladiator in me.
I'm very glad I was able to express myself there.
It's no secret that I was very happy to finish the competition with the gold, but a silver medal in my first Grand Slam tournament this season is exactly the way I wanted to embark on the arduous journey to the City of Lights.
And what fun that the campaign continues here at home, in Tel Aviv, with the warm audience, which is unique and unique in the world.
As a kid, I always dreamed of competing in the biggest tournaments, with the best athletes in the world, and now one of them is just a short walk from home (depending on who).
The butterflies in the stomach are raging, and there is nothing more exciting than hearing the Israeli anthem in front of our audience.
I have done this before, and I will give my all and beyond to do it again, and proudly represent the country I love so much.
Fans at the Tel Aviv Hall.
Will continue to fill the stands this weekend, Photo: Photo: Oren Aharoni
Thank you so much to everyone who purchased a ticket and came to cheer from the stands, and also to those who will hold fingers and push us out of the house - you have no idea how much power you are giving!
I will take the stage and wish my friends good luck because they deserve it.
A personal thank you to all my sponsors, led by the newspaper and website of "Israel Today", for the peace and the crazy back wind every day and in the competitions themselves.
For me it is a huge sense of pride to represent you on the mat.
Love and embrace, El-El Israel! Yours, Peter Plachik.
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