When Yael Arad made history, stood on the podium in Athens in 1993 and became the pioneer of winning the medal at the European Judo Championships weighing up to 61 kg, Timna Nelson-Levy was not born at all.
The 29-year drought came to an end last weekend, when Nelson-Levy, stepped on the mat at the "Armatz Arena" in Sofia, Bulgaria and came out of it with the gold medal around her neck, after defeating in the weight category up to 57 kg over Frenchwoman Sarah Leoni Sisk.
All the hard work drained into one moment of pure happiness, which erupted between when the judge's hand pointed to Nelson Levy as the winner, she lay down on the mattress and tried to digest that moment she had dreamed of all her life.
Nelson-Levy (27) is the daughter of American Zionist parents who immigrated to Israel in 1985, Shmuel and Laura lived in the Kiryat Hayovel neighborhood of Jerusalem.
She is the third of six siblings, with her mother serving as a tour guide and one day walking in Timna Park in the south, while she was pregnant, she fell in love with the name and so the name of the talented judoka was chosen.
Nelson Levy celebrates the win, Photo: Oren Aharoni
The road to the top that was almost missed
The road to the top of Nelson-Levy has almost been missed.
It was only at the age of 13 that she met judo, after starting her career in jiu jutsu sports and combined martial arts, but eventually found a warm home in the humble club in the best judo center in Jerusalem, the same place where champions brothers Alon and Uri Sasson grew up.
Whoever took her under his wing and recognized the potential from the beginning, was coach Joel Liebster, who accompanies her as her personal trainer to this day, and was also present at her happy moment in the Bulgarian capital.
As she matured and achievements came, Nelson-Levy joined Wingate on the national team, until that very moment last Friday when she entered the short and respectable list of Israeli winners at the European Championships, the second woman overall.
In addition, Arik Zeevi who did it 4 times, Sagi Muki twice and Peter Plachik once also won.
Moments after the great achievement and before boarding the flight back to Israel, Nelson Levy sat down for an exclusive interview with Israel Today.
Have you already digested that you are a European champion?
"Not yet. I're been receiving a lot of warmth and love since the win, a lot of messages, and I really feel all the love, but I think I'm really happy with myself - I'm in euphoria."
How were the feelings at the moment of victory in the final?
"I had a chill, I so wanted it to happen. I have known for a long time that this is one of my big goals. A few years ago, before the Corona, I told Shani Hershko (coach of the women's team - AA), in a personal conversation that I was going to be European champion ".
"Now before the final battle, he told me do you remember what you promised me? I answered him nicely that he remembers it and he replied to me: 'I remember everything.' After the final I told him I promised and kept. "The podium, I was a bit suffocated. To stand on the podium, after Holocaust Remembrance Day, on European soil and voice hope, is one of the most exciting things I have ever experienced and it is a dream come true."
With the medal, Photo: Oren Aharoni
How much of your parents' share in success?
With mom there is always a special connection.
I have an amazing mother who raised six children.
Of course my dad also had a part, but she did an outstanding job.
She went through everything with me.
Even the hardest, least good moments.
When I get off the fight and I'm less satisfied, one of the things I like to do after contests is get into the family WhatsApp group and read all the messages from Mom. "
Is everyone involved?
"
"They don't usually come with me to competitions, my mother was with me at the European Junior Championships in Romania, but not too much."
Were you interested in them coming to cheer?
"Sometimes yes and sometimes no. It's enough to hear a voice from home that I recognize, not like two or the teammates who are with me all the time and I'm used to them. It's enough for my nephew to be in the audience and I hear him shout I just melt."
Did you surprise yourself this time?
"No. I know for years that I have the ability to win gold, but when I got up in the morning I said to myself - avoid having one fight, win it minute by minute, and once you get through the first fight it is no longer interesting and you move on to the second fight, and so on. "The top is the gold medal, but you have to look at the road, minute after minute, battle after battle. See how I win and that's what interests me."
Which greeting moved you the most?
"There were two greetings that really moved me. The first was even before the competition from my nephew Naor, who is not yet 3 years old, it was in a video call, when his mother was with him and she asked - do you want her to avoid coming back with a medal" and he answered yes, so she asked him Again, "In what color?"
And he answered "gold", a little boy who could say any color and he said gold, he sees all my competitions and we have crazy chemistry and it super excited me.
"Another blessing that moved me was from the family. They knew how hard I work for it. Sometimes I have to miss things and not be at special events, because of the path I chose."
Do you read comments and talkbacks?
.
Why do you think it has been so many years since the last time we had a European champion?
"It may have happened because of the shell we have now, it's much better than it was before. The coaching staff, the belief of each of us, the knowledge that it is possible. Preliminary singing opened the championship with a bronze medal and then it gave way to more medals. I hope that the next time this happens it will be in much less than 29 years. "
"Judo is my whole life"
The great progress of the women's team in recent years and the great work done by Hershko and his team, led to further achievements in the championship when on that successful Friday of Nelson Levy, it was a first song that joined the podium, after winning a bronze medal in the 84k weight category C - Her first medal of her career in the important continental competition at the age of 31.
The next day came the big day of 22-year-old Gili Sharir, with her own bronze in the weight category up to 63 kg. .
How much do you sacrifice for judo?
"Lots. If it's holidays without the family, henna, birthdays, full of events. The family also knows how to pick me up and I have quite a few siblings, so I got full messages of winning."
Now you have raised the bar of expectations from everyone.
"My expectations of myself are always the highest. I expect myself in every competition to finish with a medal, it's not something that presses me these on the contrary - it pushes me up, in the biggest competition I have proven myself and I want to move forward."
What is judo for you?
"It's my whole life. I do it all my life. I get up in the morning, and revolve around judo all day - do morning workouts, continue treatments, come home for lunch, sometimes evening workouts, weight training, physiotherapy, from morning to evening all around judo".
What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of today?
"I think I grew up very much. The Tokyo Olympics campaign made me very mature, both in judo and mentally, I think I know how to work tactically on the mat better. Although I started learning, but judo is my life center and currently the highest priority. That's what I chose, even though it is sometimes painful and unpleasant, because there are things that cannot be completed. "
Who are your models?
"In this country, of course, these are the team with me. We work so closely, but I also see athletes in other countries and say I feel like trying all sorts of things they do, things that can help us, that might suit me. I really like the judo of the Mongols, there was A time I worked on the ground, something I might be able to strengthen more.
"In the end everyone brings their own judo, you can't copy another athlete. You are not built like her, and you do not move like her. I want to be the best version of myself."
You are a very cohesive team.
"We have a strong team that is strong. To come back with four medals in women, which has never been the case - it's just crazy."
Shani not our friend
What led to the leap?
"Union, it's the strength of the team, but also the hard work, dedication and perseverance every day.
Shani is very clear with us and tough for good.
There are no delays with him, he does not play games.
If we are late for training, we will be kidnapped and that's fine.
What penalties?
I do not know, because I was never late.
I love getting in front of everyone, doing my reinforcements, being ready for training, and every moment is important because it is impossible to know what will make the difference.
"Shani is not our friend, his goal is to bring medals, that's what he does and I think he does it in an extraordinary way, there is no friend part, but I'm with Shani more than I am with my family. I love him and he me - it's not just Coach and athlete, but I will not go on vacation with him. "
I love him but we will not go on vacation together, Photo: Oren Aharoni
The crisis after Tokyo
Were there also moments of crisis?
"One like that was in Tokyo, seventh place really did not satisfy me. Expectations were much higher and it was a moment that was really hard for me to get out of, even after we came back with a medal in the team competition - when I sealed the victory and there was some euphoria, I had a very hard time resetting.
"I came home and sat with my big brother, we talked two days after the competition and I really started to cry."
The road was not easy, Photo: Oren Aharoni
How do you get out of this?
"Every athlete experiences difficult moments and crises. The wisdom is to know how to get up and move on. I finished the competition and knew I had more to give. Here I am now with a degree that only two women in Israel have and it's good that I got out of it."
In the few moments outside of judo, where do you spend it?
"I really like spending time with family and friends, two nephews who recently fled abroad a little broke my heart.
Love to spend this time with the people closest to me, it makes me happy.
Besides, I love Jerusalem - I am a proud Jerusalemite, love to walk around the Mahane Yehuda market, and recommend to anyone who has not been there yet to visit.
And also in the garden at my mother's - it feels like heaven there, fun there, there is privacy there and that makes it more special that the house is full with six brothers. "
With a tour guide mother, you probably know every place in the country.
"When we were little we went to fill trips. The old city, Timna Park in the south after which I am named, Mitzpe Ramon and we were really everywhere."
When you want to break up, what do you do? Do you have any favorite TV shows?
"I like to ride a bike occasionally, Netflix sees. I like karaoke. When we travel to Japan I go to crazy karaoke rooms, when I'm sharp and some of the most fake on the team, but I love it."
what do you like to eat?
"Meat, and my dad's food he cooks is amazing. When we travel the world all the time we go to restaurants, when the weight allows us."
What about relationships?
"Now judo is my top priority. I have a very clear goal - to finish at the top of the podium at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and that's one of the things that can be postponed, when there are athletes who do manage to combine."
When you walk down the street today, are you recognized? Looking for a selfie?
"I believe that now after the gold at the European Championships, they will recognize me more."
"Believes they will recognize me more now," Photo: Oren Aharoni
Face forward to Paris
at last summer's Olympics in Tokyo-Nelson-Levy finished the individual competition in seventh place and went down disappointed, but quickly recovered to the team competition, where she was a key part and even achieved the crucial point that brought the bronze medal.
Without too many moments of rest, the Jerusalem judoka looks forward to the City of Lights, where in a little over two years the next Olympic Games will take place, where you will also want to win a personal medal in the most prestigious competition of all.
The start of the campaign was promising - when at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in November she finished fifth, and in February in front of the home crowd - she achieved the bronze medal at the Tel Aviv Grand Slam, and finished third, also in early April at the Antalya Grand Slam.
Nelson-Levy's next big goal will come as early as October, with the World Championships to be held this time in Tashkent.
Another goal she will want to conquer, followed by the end of the year with the Masters who will come to Israel for the first time and will be held at Nelson-Levy at home in Jerusalem.
Do you already imagine this moment of competition at the Paris Olympics in two years?
"Yeah obviously, that's the ultimate goal, but I have so many more things to go along the way. Grand Slams, World Championships, more European Championships, I want to finish it with a personal Olympic medal. The big thing so far is to stay at the top and that's what's hard."
The MMA Dream
I heard you have another dream, to compete in MMA (Combined Martial Arts) as well, where does that come from?
"I did not start in judo - I started with street fights and it took a lot out of me and also gave me tools in judo. It's something I might seriously consider after Paris. I'm not honestly saying no, but also not saying yes. We should consider and see what happens." .
Would you recommend going to judo to your children?
"First of all, judo gives a lot beyond a sporting career, gives a lot of tools for life, if they want to do it competitively then with fun and love, and if not, I will support them in anything they want to do. My nephews will return to the country straight to judo."
When you see the difference in exposure and fame that other people get like in football and basketball, does it not matter?
"There's something about it. Judo has brought the most achievements, the most successful industry in the country and thinks it deserves even more exposure, even more budgets, more of everything. More support for athletes is very important, because there is huge potential, and today it does not get the stage it deserves. to him.
"I have help today - but not regularly, if you take a footballer's salary, it is much higher than my salary, so we need to recruit sponsors and I hope that some will come to help us."
Where will we see you in ten years?
"Could be in MMA. But seriously another ten years it's a long time, I'm sure I'll stay in one way or another related to judo.
I really like coaching, I really like kids, youth is something that really appeals to me and when I see Shani sitting on the chair "The coach, this is something that really appeals to me. And personally, of course family and children."
Dreaming big, Photo: Alan Schieber
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us