Long Way: The Amazing Story of Luna Chamtai Salpter Israel today

Luna Chamtai Salpter entered the pages of the history of Israeli sports today (Monday), after winning a bronze in the marathon at the World Championships, which are being held in Eugene, Oregon in the United States. 

This is Israel's best achievement ever in running in one of the important enterprises.

And places Salpeter as one of the nominees for the medal on the biggest stage - at the Paris Olympics in about two years. 

Salpter.

One of the candidates for the medal in Paris, Photo: getty

So who are you Luna?

Ever since she was a little girl, she had been running four miles every day in every direction to school.

Later, after becoming an outstanding athlete and also playing football, she moved to an athletics boarding school.

Because of the family's opposition to engaging in sports, she came to Israel in 2008 and worked at the Kenyan Consulate in Herzliya. 

One day while he was running in the park, she was stopped by several people and recommended that she go to train at the Sharon Athletic Club with Amnon Gur.

When she arrived at the venue, she met the man who over time became her coach and life partner Dan Salpter.

In 2014, they returned to Kenya, where they held a civil wedding, and gave birth to their joint son Roy. 

Chamtai Salpter waited a long time to get citizenship, but after achieving the criteria for Rio when she participated in the Tel Aviv Marathon, and with a lot of media pressure and lots of people who helped, she received citizenship and represented Israel at the Rio Olympics. 

Chamtai Salpter waited a long time to get citizenship, Photo: AFP

In her Olympic debut marathon, the runner was forced to retire at the 33rd mile, due to a shoulder injury.

And her first significant achievement, came in 2018 at the European Championships in Berlin, where she won the gold medal in the 10,000 meters. 

The national record was set by Salpter in the Tokyo Marathon in 2020, which was also the first competition in the main marathon round in which she participated.

She first crossed the finish line in an incredible time of 2:17:46 hours, which ranked her sixth all-time at the time. 

With all that, she came with mountains of views to the Olympic marathon a year later, held in Sapporo, but finished it in 66th place out of 88 runs, with 4 miles to go after leading throughout the run, she was stopped for abdominal cramps, and barely finished. 

Today, as mentioned, came the peak moment in the career of the talented runner, when all eyes will be married in two years when she will also jump into a marathon in the French capital. 

There is nothing that stands in the way of desire!

Luna Chamtai Salpter put Israel on the map and won a marathon medal at the World Championships for the first time.

She overcame all the difficulties and fears of the past, did not give up and ran straight to the medal, when she was wrapped in the Israeli flag.

Luna - Bringing immense pride to the country, well done.🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/dUOD1QMm4t

- Isaac Herzog Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) July 18, 2022 Wrong?

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