(Times of Israel) Aaron Kalman - Among the thousands who watched Noam Gershony win Israel's first gold medal of the 2012 Paralympic Games on Saturday were friends from his previous career as an Apache helicopter pilot for the Israeli Air Force. Gershony's helicopter crashed during the Second Lebanon War. His copilot died on the spot and no one thought the then-23-year-old would survive his wounds. But he did survive and four years after the crash, Gershony started playing tennis at Tel Aviv's center for disabled veterans. "I never thought I'd represent the state in anything," Gershony said after his win, a blue-and-white flag draped over his shoulders. "You can't explain the feeling that runs through you when the anthem is played in front of so many people." Indeed, the 29-year-old, with the toughest mentality, burst into tears as the anthem was played and the Israeli flag was hoisted high. Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres, telephoned to congratulate and thank him. IDF Chief of General Staff Benny Gantz told him: "I salute you."
2012-09-10 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive