With a pared-down audience and a lengthy list of safety protocols, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are set to begin later this month, more than a year after they were postponed due to what was then called a developing global situation. The COVID-19 pandemic has meant a difficult time for athletes across the world. For many, it involved isolating with family and loved ones, reduced training opportunities, and lots of unknowns.

But now one of the biggest summer sporting events is on track and will run from July 23 to August 8. And the excitement is palpable.

Israel plans to send 89 athletes in 15 sports to compete in the games this month, including 54 men and 35 women. This is the countrys largest delegation to date and almost double the number of athletes it sent to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Israel is probably now in the top 30 this time of biggest teams. Sending a team of almost 100? Thats actually really big, especially for a small country, says David Wiseman, co-founder of Follow Team Israel, the only organization devoted entirely to providing information on Israeli athletes in English.

Due to qualifying standards, athletes from small countries generally receive invitations to qualify in certain events. In Israel, 24 out of the 89 athletes will compete as a baseball team. That leaves 65. It shows you that were really improving. That weve got athletes that are even able to qualify, which is just amazing. And that means all the athletes are improving to get there, Wiseman tells NoCamels.

Israels biggest delegation also includes some of the top judo athletes in the world and at least 10 gymnasts: Alex Shatilov, the male artistic gymnast competing in his third Olympic Games, Linoy Ashram, the rhythmic gymnast that may very well be Israels best chance for a medal in Tokyo, and a womens rhythmic gymnastics group, which took the gold medal at the European Championships in November 2020.

While Israel has won a total of nine Olympic medalssince its debut in 1952 as a country officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee, this year is its best chance to grab first, second, and third-place finishes.

As the Olympics approach, were featuring some of the top Israeli athletes competing in Tokyo in just a few weeks.

The Olympics will see Israels first-ever equestrian team, made up of four show jumpers, the first Israeli archer, and the first Israeli surfer to compete in the games.

There are also Olympic events in which Israeli athletes have never competed or medaled.

Twenty-two-year-old Linoy Ashram first made history in September 2017 by becoming the first Israeli rhythmic gymnast to get a medal in the all-around competition at a World Championships. She won the bronze medal in the competition. Previously, Neta Rivkin was the only Israeli to win a medal, but it was in an apparatus final.

The twenty-two-year-old powerhouse has since become Israels most successful rhythmic gymnast to date and has repeatedly placed in the top three in rhythmic gymnastics competitions for a number of years. While Neta Rivkin earned a chance to head to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, she was not able to move past the qualifying rounds in the individual all-around when her final score was not enough to earn her place in the top 10.

Everybody has expectations for Linoy, says Follow Team Israels other co-founder Shari Wright Pilo. Is Linoy going to get a medal? What happens if she doesnt? Is she a loser? No, shes a total winner. She got them. Shes in the top 20 of the world to be there.

But Ashram already has the world championship medals to back her up, so an Olympic medal is a very real possibility. She is the 2018 World All-Around silver medalist, two-time (2017, 2019) World All-around bronze medalist, and the 2019 European Games All-around silver medalist. In November 2020, she won a gold medal in the individual rhythmic category at the European Championships in 2020. She was the first athlete in decades to win the top spot, which has been dominated by athletes from a former Soviet Union country or Bulgaria.

I am very happy, Ashram told Israels Kan public broadcaster after her win, according to The Times of Israel, but The focus is on the Olympics, she said.

Over the past 15 years, she has won 47 medals, including 11 at the World Championships. She hopes to add at least one Olympic medal to the collection in just a few weeks.

Bullseye! Twenty-two-year-old Itay Shanny has made history by becoming the first-ever archer to compete in the Olympic Games for Israel.

With his outstanding performance in the final Olympic qualifying tournament in Paris, Shanny secured himself a spot for Tokyo 2020 by finishing 23rd out of 94 contenders.

Its surreal. Im going to be the first archer from Israel to be at the Olympics, he said at the tournament, according to World Archery, the official website of the international federation of the sport of archery.

I need to see on paper my name and Tokyo qualification, he added.

Shanny scored 656 points in the initial qualification round. He later beat 90th seed Oliver Ormar Ingvarsson (Iceland) Latvias 42nd seed Janis Brunis, and gained a victory over 10th seed Senna Roos of Belgium to reach the round of 16, meeting the Olympic quota.

Ive thought about that moment for a long time in my head, said Shanny. Im still in sort of shock. Im not celebrating as maybe I should. Its amazing, I feel great.

Anat Lelior is Israels first (and currently only) Olympic surfer among the 20 men and 20 women who will be competing this summer.

Lelior qualified for the 2020 Olympics in 2019 after finishing as the highest-ranked female surfer from Europe at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games in Miyazaki, Japan. That same year, she also had her best season on the World Surf League (WSL) World Qualifying series, culminating in a first-place finish at the Deeply Pro Anglet in France.

The 21-year-old Tel Aviv native started surfing at five with her sister Noa, and by 12 she had claimed the Israeli national championships.

Growing up surfing the Meditteranean waves in Tel Aviv has also given Lelior a unique mentality and approach, she tells Olympics.com

I live in a sea compared to an ocean, and a sea is almost like a puddle next to a pool, said Lelior. The waves are not really consistent and its really hard to be an excellent surfer next to all the world champions and all the other contestants. So, I just try to keep pushing harder and harder even though I dont have the conditions that they have.

Lelior sheltered in place with her family in Tel Aviv during the pandemic, and she looks back at the experience positively as it offered her an opportunity to focus and plan out her goals.

Im even grateful for the Olympics being postponed. I think it gave us all time to see whats the most important in our lives, she adds. I know what I want to do with my life now and Im ready to start it.

Israels equestrian team at the Olympics will certainly be a first. The team is made up of Alberto Michan, a Mexico-born horse rider in his third Olympics but representing Israel for the first time, Teddy Vlock, a 23-year old jumper juggling training with Yale University in the US, Danielle Goldstein Waldman, a 36-year-old, American-born rider known for her trademark hair styled with colorful feathers, and Ashlee Bond, the daughter of Israeli-American actor and model Steve Bond.

Bond began competing in equestrian competitions when she was six. After her first grand prix competition in 2001, when she was 16, she was named Grand Prix Rookie of the Year by the US Equestrian Federation and Pacific Coast Horse Shows Association.

Bonds passion for the sport wavered at times. At 19, she quit and explored other career possibilities. Soon after, when she was 21 traveling to New Zealand with her mom, Bond rediscovered her passion. Over the next 15 years, Bonds passion led to numerous victories and accolades, including Chronicle of the Horse Show Jumping Horseman of the Year for 2009.

She became a citizen of Israel in 2018 and qualified to participate in the Olympics in the summer of 2019. Bond will ride the horse Donatello 141 at the Games.

Its #TeamIsrael all the way! You cant pick just one member of this superstar team. Baseball in Israel does not enjoy the same popularity as in the US, Japan, or the Dominican Republic, but the country is still celebrating its first baseball team to ever qualify for the Olympic Games.

Made up of 12 pitchers, three catchers, six infielders, and three outfielders, the 24-person team is also the first Israeli sports team to have qualified for the Olympics since the national soccer team in 1976.

Much of the Israeli team is made up of Jewish Americans who became Israeli citizens as a requirement for the Olympics.

Everyone is a passport holder or citizen of Israel. Most of the players are from the minor leagues, but a few have played in the major leagues and a few are native Israelis, including the pitcher Shlomo Lipetz, who was born in Tel Aviv, Eric Holtz, a US-born baseball coach who had played for the Israel Baseball League in 2007, told NoCamels in 2019. Holtz was asked to head coach the Israel Senior National Team in 2017 and, in 2019, the team made history by defeating South Africa 11-1 during a six-team Europe/Africa Olympic qualifying tournament in Italy, and securing a spot in Tokyo

The teams first game at the Tokyo Olympics will be against the American team. They will also face teams from Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and the Dominican Republic.

Baseball can be sudden death, says Wiseman, But they have a good chance.

Some of these competitors are not household names just yet, but they are definitely ones to watch for their hard work, tenacity, and dedication.

Israeli runner Lonah Chemtai Salpeter will compete in the Womens 5,000 meter, Womens 10,000 meter, and the Womens marathon event at the Tokyo Olympics this month. She previously competed in the Womens marathon during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro but left the event at the 33rd kilometer due to a shoulder problem, which she said had to do with continuing to breastfeed her 20-month old son.

Since then, the Kenya-born runner has won the 10,000m race at the 2018 European Athletics Championship. She also completed the Tokyo Marathon in 2020 with her personal best time of 2:17:45. It set a new Israeli national record, the second-fastest European of all time, and the 6th fastest woman in the marathon in history.

It made her the 6th-fastest woman in the marathon in history (now 7th), the second-fastest European of all time, and it gave her a new Israeli national record, Wiseman tells NoCamels.

Chemtai Salpeter first came to Israel in 2008 while working as a caretaker for the children of Kenyas ambassador to Israel. In 2011, she met Dan Salpeter, an Israeli running coach whom she later married.

Wright Pilo has interviewed Chemtai Salpeter for Follow Team Israel in the past. Shes got a great story, she tells NoCamels.

Chemtai Salpeter had been running shorter distances for much of her life, but she only started running marathons in 2014. By 2016, she came in first among women in the Tel Aviv marathon and qualified for the Olympics with a time of 2:40:16.

She received Israeli citizenship in March 2016, just in time to be able to participate in the Olympics.

Most people know Israeli judoka Ori Sasson for winning a bronze medal in the +100 kg category at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and Israeli judoka Sagi Muki for being the 2019 world judo champion and for his unlikely friendship with Saeid Mollaei, the Iranian judoka who left Iran after revealing that Iranian authorities allegedly told him to intentionally lose a match to avoid a potential face-off against Muki in the finals.

Then theres Peter Paltchik, the Israeli judoka who is making a name for himself as the current number one ranked judoka in the world in the under 100kg weight category.

Paltchik is considered one of Israels top athletes and a potential Tokyo Olympic medalist. He previously took gold at the 2020 European Championships under-100kg category in Prague, and bronze at the International Judo Federations (IJF) 2021 World Judo Masters in Doha, Qatar in January.

Peter is such an awesome guy and his matches are always so exciting, says Wright Pilo, who tells NoCamels the judoka was one of several athletes who did a workout video for Follow Team Israel at the very beginning of lockdown last year. I asked him at the very first lockdown when nobody was doing workouts online. He was like, Sure, Shari, Im on it. Paltchik did an exercise that he said gets him moving during training called the lizard walk.

Hard work and dedication to the sport is what brought this judoka to the forefront of his sport. In 2016, he didnt even qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Missing out on qualifying for the Rio Games was one of the lowest points in my life, he told Olympics.com in February.

Its the same hard work and dedication that has been part of his life since he was young and already facing tough challenges and severe obstacles. Paltchik was born with multiple fractures and health complications.

The doctor said to his grandfather, Take him to sports, that will help him, Wright Pilo says. He began judo at age four and has since indicated that it helped foster his resilience both physically and mentally to overcome challenges.

The Israeli judoka is ready to show what he can do in Tokyo and says Israels strong system for serious judo athletes, which has produced medal-winning competitors like Arik Zeevi, Ori Sassoon, and Yarden Gerbi, is whats going to help get him there.

We have a system that works very, very good. Everyone is very focused on what needs to be done. And its a big system that is motivating everyone, he told Olympics.com, As for Tokyo, I think in my case, its an advantage because Im coming very, very ready. My physical and my mental game is ready. Everything is on the right path.

At just 17 years old, Lihi Raz is the only female artistic gymnast that will represent Israel in the womens artistic gymnastics competition in Tokyo. Raz was the Israeli national champion for her age group in 2019. She qualified by winning the bronze medal in the European Championship in Womens Artistic Gymnastics this past December.

She was the first Israeli to win a medal in the competitions history, according to The Jerusalem Post.

But she almost didnt make it. Israel did not send a female artistic gymnast in 2016 and when it was time to decide if there would be one in 2020, the Israeli Olympic Committee had additional internal qualification rules for athletes. Raz, due to her age and lack of experience, was not designated as an Olympic hopeful. She had to fulfill additional criteria including placing no lower than 12th on bars, beam, or floor, or in the first two halves of competitors on vault at the European Championships In this case, the pandemic worked to her favor.

Raz not only placed in the to 8 on the floor exercise in the qualifying round, but she also ended up winning bronze in the final and is the first-ever senior World Artistic Gymnastics medal for Israel at the European Championships.

Of course it was the goal but it was a bit of a surprise because I didnt yet know that I was capable of it. It made me believe in myself more and see what Im capable of achieving, she later told Haaretz, according to gymnastics news website Gymnovosti.

Raz was born in the US and moved to Israel with her family when she was three months old. Her gymnastics career started when she was just six.

Avishag Semberg is the 19-year old Israeli taekwondo athlete that has qualified for the 2020 Olympics by winning first place in the 2021 European Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament in Bulgaria in May. She will be one of just 16 competitors in her weight category.

Previously, Semberg won gold in the womens-49kg category in the 2020 European Taekwondo Championships in Sarajevo, as the only woman competing in the Israeli delegation.

competing for Israel, Semberg has said: When I enter the arena with the Israeli flag on hand and the ISR on the suit I feel it is my commitment to represent Israel with dignity and I am excited about this opportunity.

Semberg was born in 2001 and started practicing taekwondo in the first grade.

My expectations of myself ahead of the Olympics is to do my maximum during the preparation and especially in the competition. Resist the pressure and give everything I have until the last second! she has shared on the official Israel Olympics Committee website.

Brothers Ran and Shachar Sagiv will compete in the triathlon event at the Tokyo Olympics. The sons of Israeli Olympic marathon runner Shemi Sagiv, the brothers will look to advance the family legacy while competing together in Japan.

Based in Zichron Yaakov, a town just south of Haifa, the Sagiv brothers have trained since they were young, including during high school and military service.

Shachar is currently ranked 39 in the world, and Ran is ranked 52, according to World Triathlon, the international governing body for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of triathlon. Each brother has won Israeli triathlon national championships. In 2017, Shachar finished fourth in the U23 World Championship, and in 2019, Ran won the bronze medal in the same event.

This will be the second consecutive Olympics that includes Israeli triathletes. Ron Darmon finished in 26th place in 2016.

In 2004, Israels first and only Olympic gold medal so far went to Gal Fridman in mens windsurfing at the Games in Athens.

This year, Yoav Cohen is looking to repeat the win as a competitor in Mens RS:X windsurfing class. Or at least showcase his talents. The 21-year-old finished in fifth place at the 2021 RS:X World Championships in April and reached a tie with Shahar Tzuberi in the ranking of the countrys selection. Although Tzuberi competed in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics for Israel and was chosen to compete in the Games before the postponement last year, the teams coach, Gur Steinberg, decided to make Cohen the representative instead.

The world will see how Cohen fares in the mens RS:X windsurfing heats later this month.

Originally posted here:

Israel Is Sending 89 Athletes To The Tokyo Olympics. Here Are 11 To Watch - NoCamels - Israeli Innovation News

(JTA) The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are finally happening, a full year after they were planned. And yes, theyre still being called the 2020 Olympics, even though theyre happening in 2021.

The Jewish athletes competing this year and there are many are the products of inspiring journeys. Theres the fencer looking for redemption, Israels first Olympic surfer, one of the greatest canoe paddlers of all time, a teen track star para-athlete, and so many more.

The games run July 23 through Aug. 8; the Paralympics will be held Aug. 24 to Sept. 5.

Here are many of the inspiring Jewish athletes to root for.

Basketball, USA

Is Sue Bird one of the greatest Jewish athletes of all time? Perhaps.

The basketball legend has won gold medals with the U.S. womens basketball team in the last four yes, four Olympics. (The team has not lost at the games since 1992.) Bird, now 40, is back for her fifth, and likely last, Olympics.

The child of a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother, Bird was born and raised in Syosset, Long Island. Shes been a basketball star since her debut for the University of Connecticut in 1998 and selection as the WNBAs No. 1 overall draft pick in 2002 by the Seattle Storm. In her nearly 20 years as a pro, Bird has won four WNBA championships (including last year in the COVID-19 bubble) and is a 12-time All-Star.

Bird also gained Israeli citizenship in 2006 in a basketball-motivated decision, so she could play for European teams. Her citizenship also allowed her to connect to her Jewish identity.

It was cool because what I found was in this effort to create an opportunity in my basketball career, I was able to learn a lot about a culture that I probably wouldnt have tapped into otherwise, Bird told the Washington Jewish Museum.

Read more on Sue Bird here.

The womens basketball tournament begins on July 26; the U.S. plays its first game on July 27 against Nigeria. The gold medal game is Aug. 8.

Rhythmic Gymnastics, Israel

Israels best chance at winning a medal is 22-year-old Linoy Ashram. The Mizrahi and Sephardi gymnast (her father is Yemeni Jewish and her mother is Greek Jewish) is set to compete in her first Olympics after winning in the individual rhythmic category at the European Championships in 2020 the first athlete to take the gold medal in decades who was not from a former Soviet country or Bulgaria.

Ashram has many firsts for her country: Shes the first rhythmic gymnast from Israel to win an individual all-around medal at the World Championships, the first to win gold in the World Cup series and the first to win a European All-Around title. Can she be the first to win gold in gymnastics at the Olympics? Well find out early next month.

Read more on Linoy Ashram here.

The rhythmic gymnastics competition takes place Aug. 6-8.

Tennis, Argentina

Diego Schwartzman is the highest-ranked Jewish tennis player in the world. Last year he broke into the top 10 for the first time, becoming the shortest top 8 player since 5-foot-6 Harold Solomon, also Jewish, in 1981. The Argentines listed height of 5-7 is called one of the more generous measurements in professional sports he likely stands around 5-4 (the U.S. Open lists him at 5-5). Watching him go shot to shot with players that are over a foot taller is nothing short of remarkable.

Nicknamed El Peque, or Shorty, the 28-year-old is set to play in his first Olympics. (For tennis, qualifications are based on world rankings, with the top 56 players becoming eligible.)

Schwartzman is open about and proud of his Jewish identity. Last year he wrote movingly on his familys Holocaust history, and how his great-grandfather escaped a train car headed for a concentration camp and ended up in Argentina.

I am Jewish and in Argentina, we have many Jewish [people] there, and all the people there know me, he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in 2017.

Read more on Diego Schwartzman here.

The mens tennis tournament begins on July 24.

Beach volleyball, USA

Alix Klineman had played indoor volleyball for Stanford in college and professionally following her graduation in 2011. But in 2016, she failed to make the U.S. Olympic Volleyball Team and vowed to find another way to compete at the games. So she switched to beach volleyball. Unlike indoor volleyball, which has teams with rosters selected by coaches, beach volleyball is a two-person sport dependent on your own results with a partner.

I looked at the beach as a new opportunity and a chance to chase my dreams without anybody having to give me approval or put me on a roster, she said in 2019. The biggest thing was pursuing the Olympics and getting a new shot at that.

Klineman teamed with two-time Olympian April Ross she had been partnered with three-time gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings and they quickly rose in the rankings. They are entering the Tokyo Games with a world ranking of No. 2, with a more than solid chance of winning gold.

Klineman, 31, was raised in Southern California in a Jewish family. In 2015, she was inducted into the SoCal Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Read more on Alix Klineman here.

The womens beach volleyball tournament begins on July 24.

Surfing, Israel

Anat Lelior is Israels first and only Olympic surfer. Surfing is new to the Olympics, and only 20 men and 20 women will be competing this summer. Lelior, 21, qualified as the highest-ranked female surfer from Europe (Israel competes in European leagues). Lelior, who hails from Tel Aviv and served in the Israeli military, started surfing at 5, and by 12 she had won the Israeli national championships.

I know people arent aware of surfing in Israel, and the fact that I get to be the one to show people that were capable of more than they think, thats just amazing, Lelior told Surfline. But more than that, I want to show kids, women, everyone from everywhere, that they can do anything they want. Theres no limits. I mean, look at me. I had no idea that this would happen, and now Im going to the freaking Olympics.

Read more on Anat Lelior here.

The surfing competition is subject to change depending on wave conditions at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach. The womens competition is tentatively scheduled for July 25-28.

Baseball, Israel

The Cinderella story continues.

In 2017, Israels national baseball team which included several American Jewish players who became Israeli citizens to represent the country surprised observers by placing sixth at the World Baseball Classic, an international tournament of the worlds best teams, with wins over top squads from South Korea, Chinese Taipei, the Netherlands and Cuba. Israel was far from a top-10 powerhouse at the time, not even ranked in the top 10 teams in Europe. That made sense, as few Israelis play the sport.

Along the way, the team ginned up enthusiasm for baseball in Israel and gave some under-the-radar Jewish players, many who had spent several years in the minor leagues, new chances to shine. Oh, and there was that endearing mascot a life-sized Mensch on a Bench.

In 2019, Team Israel won the European Baseball Championship to qualify for the Olympics. The current roster is anchored by de facto captain Danny Valencia who has Cuban and Jewish heritage and hit 96 home runs over eight Major League Baseball seasons and Ian Kinsler, a former four-time MLB All-Star who made it to Israel on one of the last flights before COVID-19 shutdowns last year to earn his Israeli citizenship.

Only six teams are in play (the field also includes South Korea, Japan, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the United States), so Team Israel has a chance of snagging a medal.

Read more on Ian Kinsler here, and keep an eye out for more JTA coverage of the team closer to the games.

The baseball tournament runs July 28-Aug. 7. Israels first game is against the United States.

Canoe slalom, Australia

Jessica Fox is known as the greatest paddler of all time: She has 10 World Championship medals, including seven gold medals, and seven overall World Cup titles. Her parents, Richard Fox and Myriam Jerusalmi, also were Olympic canoeists Myriam, a French-Jewish athlete, won bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Mom is now coaching her daughter.

Born in Marseille, France, Fox moved to Australia at 4, so her dad could take up a coaching position with the Australian Olympic team.

Both my parents competing in the Olympic Games is something pretty special, she said. It definitely inspired me to get to this position. Winning a medal is something that you dream [of] and Im proud to follow in my mothers footsteps.

Fox, 27, won silver in the K-1 slalom competition at the 2012 London Olympics and bronze in the 2016 Rio Games. This year, for the first time, women will also be competing in C-1 slalom so Fox, ranked No. 1 in the world, is favored to win not just one but two gold medals.

In 2012, Fox became the the second Australian Jewish athlete to ever win an Olympic medal.

Read more on Jessica Fox here.

The womens K-1 slalom competition is July 25-27. C-1 slalom is July 28-29.

Fencing, USA

Eli Dershwitz is returning to the Olympics for redemption.

At the 2016 Rio Games, the Jewish saber fencer lost in the opening round. In 2021, hes ranked No. 2 in the world and hoping to medal.

Dershwitz, who started fencing at 9, would win back-to-back NCAA championships for Harvard in 2017 and 2018. In Tokyo, he will aim to become the fifth U.S. man to win a medal in saber fencing. No American man has ever won gold in the category.

Born and raised in Sherborn, Massachusetts, to a Jewish family, Dershwitzs maternal grandparents are Holocaust survivors. He has a twin sister, Sally, who worked on the frontlines caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dershwitz grew up attending a Conservative synagogue in Natick, Massachusetts, and told Hillel International before the Rio Games that he considers himself a proud member of the Jewish community.

The Jewish community has been very supportive throughout my journey to the Olympics, and I look forward to representing them on the world stage, he said in 2016.

Read more on Eli Dershwitz here.

The mens saber fencing individual competition takes place on July 24; the mens saber team competition is on July 28.

Racewalking, Australia

Jemima Montag was perhaps destined for Jewish athletic greatness. Her parents, Ray and Amanda, met at the 1989 Maccabiah Games the Olympics for Jewish athletes held in Israel where Amanda was competing in the heptathlon and Ray was a cricketer. They hit it off on the flight home to Australia.

Growing up, the Montags encouraged their daughters (Jemima is one of three) to try everything, from long jump to shot put to ballet. But for Montag, race walking just clicked.

I found that my combination of endurance, hypermobile joints and fiery competitiveness were a great trio for racewalking, she said.

Montag soon became one of the best racewalkers in Australia, but after the World Youth Championships in 2015, she decided to step away from the sport. A family ski trip to Japan in 2017 reignited her competitive spirit. Her sister joked shed love to return to the country for the Olympics, and her mom encouraged her to go for it. A year later, at the 2018 Commonwealth Games a tournament of the Commonwealth nations, or the former territories under British control Montag won gold in the 20km event.

Montag credits her Holocaust survivor grandparents for her work ethic and resilience. When a training session or race feels tough, she thinks about them and reminds herself that grit and perseverance are in my DNA.

Read more about Jemima Montag here.

The womens 20km race walk will take place on Aug. 6.

Judo, Israel

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Or Ori Sasson won bronze in the mens heavyweight judo competition and became a national hero overnight not just for his skill but also his sportsmanship after one of his opponents, from Egypt, refused to shake his hand following a match.

Every boy and girl saw not only a great athlete but a man with values, then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Sasson in a phone call that was broadcast live on Israeli TV. You showed the true face of Israel, its beautiful face.

Sasson spent the pandemic year delay competing on Israels version of The Masked Singer his costume was a falafel sandwich and finished third. Watch one of his performances here.

This year, the Kurdish Jewish Sasson now 30 and likely in his last Olympics is set to compete in the heavyweight competition and in the team competition, an addition to the Olympics judo lineup. Judo has been the pride of Israels Olympic fortunes, winning five of the nations nine overall medals. (See more on one of Sassons teammates below.)

Read more about Ori Sasson here.

The mens 100+ kg competition is on July 30. The team competition is on July 31.

Judo, Israel

Sagi Muki made headlines when he befriended an Iranian judoka, Saeid Mollaei, who was forced to throw a match to avoid competing against an Israeli athlete. Mollaei fled Iran as a dissident and received refugee status in Germany. The story of their friendship is now being made into a TV show.

But Muki,29, is an Olympic medal contender in his own right. The half-middleweight judoka is a two-time Israeli national champion,a2019 world champion, and the 2017 and 2018 European champion. He was expected to medal at the 2016 Rio Games but was hampered by an injury.

Born and raised in Netanya, Israel, to a Yemeni Jewish family, he started focusing on judo when he was 8 years old.

The mens under-81 kg competition is on July 27.

Marathon, Israel

Maru Teferi, who was born in northwestern Ethiopia and immigrated to Israel with his Jewish family when he was 14, is the Israeli record holder in six distances, including the half marathon and the marathon. His fastest marathon time of 2:07:20, run right before the pandemic in February 2020 is just 6 minutes off the world record.

Now hes set to compete in his second Olympics. This time hell be joined by his wife, Selamawit Selam Dagnachew Teferi. Theyll be the first married couple to represent Israel at the Olympics.

Teferi, 28, met now-wife Selam while training in Ethiopia in 2012. Selam, 27, is not Jewish, but she moved to Israel in 2017 after the couple married and became an Israeli citizen. That made her eligible to represent Israel at the Olympics.

Even in our wildest dreams, we didnt think this would be possible, Selam said.

Read more about Maru Teferi here.

The mens marathon will take place on the last day of the Olympics, Aug. 8. To watch Selam, the womens 5,000m competition begins July 30; the finals are Aug. 2. The womens 10,000m is on Aug. 7.

Basketball, Japan

Avi Koki Schafer is sometimes listed at 6-foot-10. With that height, you would think he has played basketball his entire life. But the Japanese Jewish athlete didnt get into the sport until he was 16. Just seven years later, the 23-year-old will be playing for Japan in the countrys home Olympics.

Schafer, whose mom is Japanese and dad is Jewish American, grew up in Japan but spent his senior year of high school playing for Brewster Academy in New Hampshire before going on to play Division I basketball at Georgia Tech for two years.

He left his sophomore year to go pro in Japan and since 2019 has played professionally in his native country.

When I came back to Japan from the United States and decided to become a professional in Japan, I made the decision with an eye on the Olympics, he said shortly after being selected to the team. It is held in my home country and I want to show Japanese people what I can do.

Read more about Avi Schafer here.

The mens basketball tournament begins July 25. Japans first match is against Spain on July 26.

Paralympics track and field, USA

Ezra Frech is only 16 years old, but hes already made a name for himself as a para-athlete. The Los Angeles native competes in the high jump, long jump and the 100m race.

Due to a congenital abnormality, Frech was born with only one finger on his left hand, and he was missing his left knee and shinbone.At 2 he had surgery to remove the curved part of his leg, and had a toe attached to his left hand. By 9 he was on Ellen talking about his athletics and advocating for adaptive sports, and at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, he was the youngest athlete in the world to compete at 14.

Everywhere you go, people dont think youre capable of what an able-bodied person can do, Frech said. Ill go to my high school track meet and they dont expect the one-legged kid to go out and win the competition. When I was younger it got to me, but now its a motivation and excites me that I have a chance to prove people wrong, to shock them and turn some heads.

His mom, Bahar Soomekh, is a Persian Jewish actress. She fled Iran with her family in 1979. His dad, Clayton Frech, left his job in 2013 to found Angel City Sports to bring adaptive sports opportunities to Los Angeles.

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Tokyo Olympics: All the Jewish Athletes to Watch Detroit Jewish News - The Jewish News

Rating system: (4=Don't miss, 3=Good, 2=Worth a look, 1=Forget it)

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Eat Pray Love (PG-13) (3) [Appeal for brief strong language, some sexual references, and male rear nudity.] [DVD and VOD only] After divorcing her husband (Billy Crudup) and breaking up with her actor boyfriend (James Franco) to the concern of her agent (Viola Davis) and best friend in this engaging, factually inspired, romantic chick flick, which is based on Liz Gilberts bestselling memoir and filled with gorgeous scenery, a discontented and unhappy New York City travel writer (Julia Roberts) seeks balance and a new zest for life by indulging in fabulous food and making new friends (Welker White, Silvano Rossi, Giuseppe Gandini, et al.) in Italy, by seeking spiritual enlightenment and inner peace at an ashram in India with the help of a guilt-ridden divorced man (Richard Jenkins), and by opening herself up to love in Bali when she meets a sensitive, caring Brazilian import/export businessman (Javier Bardem).

The Expendables (R) (2.5) [Strong action and bloody violence throughout, and some language.] [DVD and VOD only] Nonstop action and explosions dominate this fast-paced, bullet-riddled, violent, star-dotted (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, and Dolph Lundgren) film in which a motley group of hired mercenaries (Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, and Terry Crews) head to a South American island to assassinate a greedy rogue CIA agent (Eric Roberts), his right-hand man (Steve Austin), and a puppet leader (David Zayas) whose artistic daughter (Giselle Iti) has risked her life to help the Americans and her country.

The Girl in the Caf (NR) (3.5) [DVD and VOD only] A delightful charming, captivating, and touching 2005 film in which a reserved, regimented, lonely, workaholic British civil servant (Bill Nighy) finds his personal and professional life turned upside down when he meets a mysterious, shy woman (Kelly Macdonald) at a caf and then invites her to join him in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he is attending the annual G8 summit with his boss (Ken Stott) and coworkers.

Grinder (NR) (1.5) [Available on various VOD platforms.] While a gay, nave, 16-year-old model (Tyler Austin) escapes his abusive, drunk, unemployed father after he smears lipstick all over his face and ends up in the apartment of an abusive, manipulative, pedophile modeling agency owner (Jon Fleming) who also produces a porn magazine in New York City in Brandon Ruckdashels dark, gritty, clich, poorly-acted, predictable, 82-minute, 2016 film, a jogging-loving photographer (Brandon Rucksdashel) living on the down low neglects his unsuspecting fiance (Sarah Lazar) and hooks with random men (Joshua Dye, et al) even as he tries to convince himself that he is straight.

The Ice Road (PG-13) (2) [Strong language and sequences of action and violence.] [Netflix Only] After 26 Canadian miners (Holt McCallany, Martin Sensmeier, Ray McKinnon, et al.) become trapped in a diamond mine in northern Manitoba due to a methane explosion and their available air supply is rapidly depleting in Jonathan Hensleighs disappointing, lackluster, violent, predictable, star-studded (Matt Salinger, Matt McCoy, and Benjamin Walker), 108-minute thriller loosely inspired by the long-running, factually based television series Ice Road Truckers, four brave truckers (Liam Neeson, Laurence Fishburne, Marcus Thomas, and Amber Midthunder) encounter unscrupulous, money-hungry people when they take on an extremely dangerous, time-sensitive rescue mission by driving over melting ice roads in an attempt to deliver life-saving, 25-ton wellshead equipment to the mine.

Osso Bucco (NR) (2) [DVD only] A wacky, silly 2008 comedy about two feuding Chicago detectives (Aaron Roman Weiner and Antoine McKay) who are trapped in an Italian restaurant during a blinding snow storm with two Mafia gangsters (Mike Starr and Christian Stolte), a fesity waitress (Illeana Douglas), a passionate Italian chef (Perry Anzilotti), a Mexican waiter (Eddie Martinez), and a cheating host (Michael Gilio).

Racially Charged: Americas Misdemeanor Problem (NR) (4) [Available on Vimeo and YouTube.] Mahershala Ali narrates Robert Greenwalds powerful, educational, eye-opening, poignant, ire-inducing, 35-minute, 2020 documentary, which was inspired by Harvard law professor Alexandra Natapoffs Punishment without Crime: How Our Massive Misdemeanor System Traps the Innocent and Makes America More Unequal book, that examines the unfair, disturbing, racist judicial system in which more than 13 million Blacks and Hispanics are charged annually with misdemeanors such as jaywalking, broken car taillight, and driving with a suspended license that negatively impact many areas, including employment and housing, and consists of archival photographs, historical film clips, and insightful commentary by people (such as Michael Brown, Eddie Gray, Faylita Hicks, Chris Lollie, Fernando Martinez, Demario Davis, Michael Robinson, and Bradley Haggard) who were unjustly arrested for a misdemeanor and professors Alexandra Natapoff, Paul Delano Butler, Irene Oritseweyinmi Joe, Douglas A. Blackmon, Gaye Theresa Johnson, andKhalil Gibran Muhammad.

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death (NR) (2.5) [Subtitled] [Available July 6 on Blu-ray and DVD and June 4 on Hi-YAH! on http://www.hiyatv.com.] After an immature, thoughtless, and reckless gambling addict (Fad Anuar) loses the deed to his familys home during illegal fights and drag racing in Areel Abu Bakars award-winning, action-packed, violent, well-choreographed, evenly-paced, low-budget,102-minute, 2019 film, his martial-arts teacher father (Namron), sister (Feiyna Tajudin), and brother (Khoharullah Majid) join forces as a spiritual, close-knit, silat-skilled family to fight to save their Malaysian property when a ruthless loan shark (Faizal Hussein) and his gang members give them one week to pay off the debt.

The Tomorrow War (PG-13) (3) [Intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, language, and some suggestive references.] [Available July 2 on Amazon Prime Video.] When time travelers (Jasmine Mathews, et al.) from 2051 show up in 2022 to get help to defeat menacing, hungry aliens that threaten mankind in Chris McKays convoluted, action-packed, fast-paced, bullet-riddled, violent, star-dotted (J. K. Simmons, Gary Weeks, Felisha Terrell, Seychelle Gabriel, and Kiley Casciano), 140-minute sci-fi thriller, a Florida science high school teacher (Chris Pratt), who has a wife (Betty Gilpin) and young daughter (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), along with other civilians (Sam Richardson, Edwin Hodge, Keith Powers, Theo Von, Mike Mitchell, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Chibuikem Uche, et al.) are drafted and transported into the future in a last-ditch effort to defeat the aliens while a dedicated, tenacious scientist (Yvonne Strahovski) desperately tries to determine a way to kill the aliens through a biological serum.

Wendy Schadewald is a Burnsville resident.

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Short Redhead Reel Reviews for the week of July 9 - ECM Publishers

As India fights the COVID-19 pandemic, NGOs across the country have been working relentlessly to help those affected. With limited resources, these organisations have helped the underprivileged sections of the society by providing relief materials.

Despite the challenges, NGOs and volunteers came forward risking their lives to keep the spirit of humanity alive.

Humanity United Together (HUT), a volunteer-driven NGO from Bengaluru, is also helping a number of families affected by the pandemic.

The organisation was started in 2016 by a group of seven engineering students from Bengaluru Adil Hamza Khan L, Rishabh Jain, Haneefa Nida, Priyanka C, Roushan Meraj, Aaron Geoffrey, and Prerana Reddy P.

HUT Paatashaala's event at Gauribidnooru Government School, Karnataka

Initially, they pooled in whatever they could to visit charitable organisations like Anand Ashram, Kidwai Cancer Memorial Hospital, and Holy Faith Orphanage in the city. They also made necessary donations based on the requirements like food packets, essentials, etc.

HUT was officially registered as an NGO in 2021 to provide relief to different communities.

During the pandemic-induced lockdown in 2021, around 60 student volunteers from nearly 12 universities across Karnataka came together as part of HUTs relief work and distributed ration kits and fed the stray dogs who had no access to food.

The ration kits were sufficient to provide for a family of three to four for about a month. The team distributed these kits to about 150 families across the city during the pandemic, and has been doing that since May.

Lubna shares that abandoned dogs, cats, and the strays had a difficult time as the restaurants, which usually feed the leftovers to these animals, were closed during the lockdown.

We provided food to stray animals on a regular basis locality-wise. We also provided food and rations to pet shelters overburdened by abandoned pets, she says.

In addition, the team also collected blankets for stray animals to protect them during the monsoon and the subsequent cold weather in the city.

A volunteer from the NGO feeding the stray dogs

During the peak of the second wave, the team arranged hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and refills, and medication, among others, for the families impacted by COVID-19. We are also providing counselling to COVID patients and their families, says Lubna.

Apart from COVID relief work, HUT is also spreading awareness about afforestation, deforestation, and the importance of growing trees for the future. It organised a seed ball dispersion event, which were thrown around in certain sparse areas of Lalbagh in April 2021.

Seed balls, also known as earth balls or Nendo Dango, consist of a variety of different seeds rolled within a ball of compost.

If at least 10 percent of them grow, then that is a huge achievement, says Lubna.

ALSO READ

[COVID Warriors] How Vrikshit Foundation is aiding the underserved during the pandemic

The HUT team is divided into four factions Paatshaala, Saathi, Anveshna, and Prachaar. The NGOs work is executed under each of these verticals by the volunteers.

Paatashala aims to provide knowledge and awareness to underprivileged children.

On the other hand, the volunteers at Saathi are spreading awareness on mental health and wellness for timely diagnosis of mental illnesses. Psychology students are the main volunteers of this faction, where they conduct sessions and help people understand their mental health condition.

The Saathi volunteers also reached out to the families who lost their loved ones and helped them through difficult times, says Lubna.

HUT's seed ball dispersion event

Anveshana, HUTs fact-checking authority, does a complete background check of the event location, needs, requirements, etc. The volunteers also provide verified information about available beds, oxygen cylinders, and others with the help of some of the volunteers who were UPSC aspirants.

Lastly, Prachaar is the social media team of HUT, which is in charge of keeping its followers up-to-date on events and activities. In fact, Lubna is one of the core members of this team.

Madeeha Chowdhary, another volunteer, says, Though I have been associated with other NGOs, I really liked HUTs approach. The team is friendly and enthusiastic to serve the society.

ALSO READ

COVID Warrior: How Saarthi Education is empowering women, educating over 8,000 children amidst COVID-19

The HUT team has so far reached out to over 150 families by providing monthly rations. The volunteers also provide food for about 40-60 dogs about two to three times a week.

In order to meet these requirements, the team pooled in their own money and also received some donations from well-wishers. The team also organised a charity bake sale through which they were able to raise funds for ration kits for about 20 families.

However, the biggest challenge for the team was the movement, because while it may be a good cause, they might be putting people at risk.

HUT is now preparing for the third wave of the pandemic in the coming months. The team is looking to conduct more awareness campaigns with video conferences and other engaging activities to protect people from the third wave.

Now, with most of us having been vaccinated, we want to visit Kidwai Cancer Memorial again because the joy that we experience with them is unmatchable, says Lubna.

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How this NGO helped people and animals in distress during the pandemic - YourStory

Saint Leonardreturns with new single 'Always Night' - the first release from his forthcoming new album,recorded in Berlin during lockdown alongside members of the Fat White family.

A sparse noirish love song. 'Always Night' is laced with haunting skeletal Rhodes piano chords and a stark saxophone line played by Alex White, peaking alongsideSaint Leonard's eerily intoned vocals and Nathan Saoudi's electronic pop tinged squalls that nestle amongst the arrangement.

The songwriter has been on a number of journeys, swapping English gloom for travels across India and the the Himalayan mountains, visiting The Beatles Ashram in Rishikesh and studying Transcendental Meditation with the monks of the Kesar Devi Temple. Following up his acclaimed debut album, Saint Leonard released 'Light Years' a song recorded at Paul Epworths Church Studio, featuring The Horrors Josh Hayward on guitar, Panda (bass) from TOY and former Klaxons drummer Steff Halperin.

His new single lands as a precursor to forthcoming album, tune in to the lyric video now...

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Saint Leonard has also announced his first live show since the pandemic, back in the U.K. he will be performing at The Albion Rooms in Margate on the 20th of August.

Golden Ticket Winners from Saint Leonards' lockdown live transmission series in association with Black Tot Rum will be granted free entry, general entry tickets are available via Leonard's channels now HERE.

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Saint Leonard Announces New Single 'Always Night' And Live Show At The Albion Rooms - Clash Magazine

IRVINE, Calif. As the world struggles to heal physically and psychologically after battling a global crisis, the well-being humanity precariously hangs in the balance. Millions of people still reel under the impact of COVID-19, not only physically but also mentally, since the pandemic has left many isolated because of the social restrictions imposed in order to survive this challenge. The need for sustenance has never been greater and the ancient science of exercise and healing Yoga is more relevant now than ever.

In keeping with the spirit of sustaining and rejuvenating the body, the mind and the spiritual self, the day of summer solstice June 21, 2021 was celebrated worldwide as the International Day of Yoga. Mirroring the practice, the day marking the return to equilibrium was celebrated in Irvine, California, by members of the Divine Art of Yoga Center and OC India Association.

During the COVID-19 time, every Saturday, live Yoga was taught by Gautam Bahiji from DAYC from the OC India Association Facebook page and a lot of people were benefited. DAYC was recognized and honored on this day in person. People of all fitness levels and ages gathered at the peaceful confines of Sweet Shade Park in Irvine and practiced various Yoga poses. Participants were encouraged and guided to perform Surya Namaskar, or Sun Salutation, Pranayama and other Asanas while touching their toes, arching towards the sky and breathing in and out mindfully.

Chanting OM and finding their physical, inner and spiritual balance with the lotus position or downward facing dog pose, the participants could explore the environment with their heightened senses. For the elderly in the group, chair yoga provided a gentle full body practice to provide relief from physical stresses and stiffness. As the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere unfolded, this day of special significance was truly celebrated as the Yogic day of well-being.

The mission of DAYC is to help spiritual seekers realize their own divinity through yoga, meditation, and spiritual discourses while helping them achieve a deep and lasting peace whose vibrations will radiate out and benefit all life on Earth. It is their profound belief that existence and presence of human beings here on Mother Earth can and should be one of joy, bliss and tranquility.

DAYC, through its Ashram, provides spiritually guided yoga and meditation practices to help individuals achieve harmony of body, mind and soul. As an organization, their yoga classes, which are open for all age and skill set levels, focus on enlightening and guiding the spiritual journey of each being. They strive to achieve unity with the inner divine self though meditation, yoga, spiritual discourses and charitable As food satisfies hunger, and exercise leads to good health, so does seeking inner peace stabilize the mind. The Center focuses on bringing that stabilization to people regardless of race or religion by utilizing their own foundation to further their progression on lifes journey.

The goal of OC Indian Women is to put people together and encourage them to live a healthy live. There are more than 2000 members of OC Indian Women, who stay connected with each other on a daily basis through social media.

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Divine Art of Yoga Center, OC India Association Mark International Day of Yoga: Now More Relevant Than Ever - India West

ST. LOUIS The tunes are hot, the drinks are cold and the dock at the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch is the place to be to hear the best of St. Louis live music scene! Every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday in July and August, enjoy free performances from local bands, live on the riverboat dock, while ordering from an expansive menu of delicious eats from the Paddlewheel Caf, along with cocktails, beer and wine from the dockside bar.

We proudly support our regions talented artists and believe our riverboat dock is one of the most unique venues in St. Louis to take in live performances while relaxing on the Mississippi River, said Robert Hopkins, director of operations, Riverboats at the Gateway Arch.

Heres how you can enjoy live music this summer at the Riverboats:

Docktails Happy HourToast to the impending end of the workweek with drink and food specials, live music and incredible views of the St. Louis skyline and the river.

WHEN: Thursdays; 4 to 7 p.m.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (subject to change):

Weekend Music on the Dock

Take in all the sights and sounds of the river while enjoying live music, drinks and food from the Paddlewheel Caf, St. Louis only riverfront restaurant and bar.

WHEN: Saturdays and Sundays; 1 to 4 p.m.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (subject to change):

PARKING: Convenient parking is available on the riverfront levee for a fee. To access the riverfront, take Chouteau Avenue east and turn left onto Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard (at the mural wall). Continue north on Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard, past Poplar Street to enter levee parking on the right. (Parking availability is subject to weather and river conditions.) Vehicle access to the riverboats from North Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard and Lacledes Landing is unavailable.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit gatewayarch.com/riverboats, call 877-982-1410 or follow the riverboats on Facebook and Instagram (@riverboatsSTL).

About the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch: The Riverboats at the Gateway Archthe Becky Thatcher and the Tom Sawyerare a short walk from the Lacledes Landing MetroLink Station and offer a variety of Mississippi River excursions with unique themes and breathtaking views of the St. Louis skyline, including the popular St. Louis Riverfront, Blues and Sunday Brunch cruises. A complete 2021 sightseeing cruise schedule can be found at gatewayarch.com/riverboats.

Listen to the best classic rock like Kansas, Aerosmith, Queen, and more on the Riverbend's only classic rock station - The Eagle!

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Live Dockside Music Rocks The Riverboats At The Gateway Arch - RiverBender.com

NASA's intrepid Perseverance rover on Mars has been capturing the imaginations of space lovers around the globe with its striking panoramic images recorded from the Red Planet's surface since it first touched down this past February.

With its captivating mission still unfolding, Warner Bros. Animation and HBO Max are tapping into the interplanetary adventure for its new season of "Looney Tunes Cartoons" with a special short starring that maniacal Earth-conquering alien, Marvin the Martian and Space.com has an exclusive clip to share!

In this sneak peek, titled "Rage Rover," Marvin the Martian proves no match for what HBO Max billed as "NASA's Mars rover."

Related: Life on Mars? Top 10 Martians of all time

Season two of "Looney Tunes Cartoons" premieres Thursday (July 8) on HBO Max and showcases Bugs, Daffy, Porky, Tweety and the whole crew of beloved Looney Tunes characters. Its talented creators emulate the high production values of the original classic Looney Tunes theatrical shorts with a cartoonist-driven style and gag-focused storytelling.

Per the official description, the first batch of summer episodes has Bugs hopping to the basketball court for an ultimate game of streetball; Porky spending a relaxing afternoon with his nephew Cicero filled with soothing music, chainsaws, and broken windows; and Daffy lending his wing to Porky as an emotional support duck.

Also packed into these 10 amusing offerings are two new shorts spotlighting fan-favorite canines Charlie Dog and Russian Dog, and zany antics with Tweety, Sylvester, Elmer, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner and Marvin the Martian.

The "Looney Tunes Cartoons" vocal cast includes Eric Bauza (Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck/Tweety/Marvin the Martian), Bob Bergen (Porky Pig), Jeff Bergman (Elmer Fudd/Sylvester), Fred Tatasciore (Yosemite Sam), Candi Milo (Granny) and Michael Ruocco (Beaky Buzzard).

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Marvin the Martian attacks a Mars rover in HBO Max's 'Looney Tunes Cartoons' Season 2: Exclusive clip - Space.com

The Startup Wife, by Tahmima Anam Simon & Schuster hide caption

The Startup Wife, by Tahmima Anam

What happens when a woman conceives of and creates an app and then her husband becomes the face of the startup that monetizes it? That's the question Tahmima Anam set out to answer in the satirical novel, The Startup Wife.

The novel centers on Cyrus and Asha, who co-found a social media platform that customizes ceremonies and rituals for people who aren't religious. Asha came up with the idea, but it's Cyrus who's credited as the visionary behind the company. The novel was inspired in part by Anam's own experience as a tech outsider who unexpectedly became immersed in the world of startups.

"My husband and I were going to be academics. I mean, I was going to write novels and he was going to be a professor of Chinese philosophy," she says.

Then Anam's husband invented an app and launched a music tech company. "And I feel like the whole journey has been one of discovering the world of startups, sort of from an outsider's perspective," she says. "And that's exactly what Cyrus and Asha do."

While writing the novel, Anam had fun imagining a range of far-fetched tech startups including a company called "EMTI" which sends subscribers an empty box which they then mail back with unwanted items. She even had a friend create a website for the fake company.

"Occasionally, when I've been talking to people in the startup world, as a joke, I will just give them the website address and not tell them that it's fake," Anam says. "For some reason, [EMTI] has been the one that people are most interested in investing. That's kind of like a little joke that I sometimes like to play on people."

On the company Asha and Cyrus create, which helps design rituals for nonreligious people

Tahmima Anam is also the author of a trilogy of novels set during and after the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Abeer Hoque/Simon & Schuster hide caption

Tahmima Anam is also the author of a trilogy of novels set during and after the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

The platform is called "WAI," ... which stands for "We Are Infinite." And what it is, is a way for people to connect via rituals. So you go on the app and you tell it the things that mean something to you, your favorite cartoons, the food that you love, what's meaningful to you, important experiences that happen to you in childhood. And then you ask for a ritual. You say, "I want to get married." For instance, in the book, there are these two classicists that get married. So they have a Homerean wedding ceremony and that's what the platform gives you. And then you get to connect to other people via those rituals. So it's kind of an anti-social media [company] "social media" in the sense that you're not talking about superficial things. You're connecting via the rituals that give your life meaning. ...

I'm not a religious person myself, but I can see how having a kind of organizing construct can be so relaxing in the world where there are so many uncertainties and giving people something to hold on to, giving [them] these kind of moments of punctuation in your life where you're looking forward to something, the baptism of your child, a bar mitzvah. ... So I thought, wouldn't it be great if we could give atheists the same kind of scaffolding that religious people have?

On her protagonist Asha making her husband the CEO, which makes him kind of a prophet

There is a real irony there, because people are obviously joining WAI because they want an alternative to organized religion, and then there they are worshipping a male visionary messiah, [a] prophet, basically. And I think the other irony is that Asha ... who creates the app and who does all the coding, and it's really her idea, when it comes down to it, she says to Cyrus, "No, you be the CEO. I'm just a coder. I'm going to sit in the background," and she lifts him up and she thinks to herself, towards the end of the book, "I literally created a platform that makes the entire world worship my husband." She does that. And this is an exaggeration of what we all sometimes do when we love someone, we lift them up. But she just does it to an absolutely intense, kind of huge, massive, exaggerated scale.

On the way some tech founders see themselves as visionaries

I think the tech world promotes the idea of the male visionary. If you think about all the people who are now basically in charge of our lives, it's mostly a series of white men, whether it's Elon Musk who's going to take us to the moon and create all the cars that we're going to be driving in the future, or Mark Zuckerberg. I mean, we may not worship them as people, but we're so dependent on them. And when it comes to male founders raising money when they're in front of the venture capitalists, I do think that there is a strong bias towards the male visionary CEO.

On being on the board of her husband's startup

I've been on the board of the company from the very beginning, and I obviously had no experience of the boardroom. And I really enjoyed thinking about writing this book the entire time that I was on that board, because one of the great pleasures of being a writer is that you get to put all of your experiences somewhere. So anytime someone cut me off or ignored me or didn't take me seriously, I thought, I'm going to write that down. So it was a way of processing that experience, which was very new for me and sometimes quite challenging, because the other half of my life was sitting quietly in a room and writing books, which had nothing to do with the startup world until I wrote this book. ... Imagining this novel was a great way of processing the actual experience I was having, both sitting on the board watching people interact with me, but also watching the changes that my husband was going through as he went from being a sort of quiet academic to being everyone's boss.

On calling out sexist and racist language when she hears it

There is so much sexist language embedded [in the business environment.] ... So, for instance, men will commonly say, "Well, they're already pregnant, they might as well have the baby," when they're talking about someone who's so invested in you, they're just going to give you more money or something like that. Or they'll say, "We should open the full kimono," which is both sexist and kind of racist. ... I think we need to be able to say out loud that language means something and a joke, even in the most kind of flippant way, is a representation of our actual values. So I hope that I can be more like Asha and less like the me that was just silently filing things away from my book.

On growing up in Paris, New York, Bangkok and Bangladesh

If you had asked me this, I don't know, 30 years ago, I would have said it was really awful because I could never maintain friendships for more than a few years. I think looking back, it was such a formative experience for me. And I would say the experience that was the most meaningful was when we moved back to Bangladesh. ... We were living in all these countries and [my parents] kept saying to me, "We're just going to go home. We're not going to stay here. We're not going to stay in New York. We're not going to stay in Paris. We're going to go home. We're nationalists. We have to go back and do something for our country." And when I was 14, we did exactly that. We went home and my father started an independent English daily newspaper, not politically affiliated, which was very unusual at the time. ... So it was very tricky to not ever be in one place for very long. But I think it certainly had a lot to do with why I became a writer.

Sam Briger and Seth Kelley produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Beth Novey adapted it for the Web.

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'Startup Wife' Satirizes Tech Culture And Boardroom Sexism From Experience - NPR

Depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, anger, nervous breakdown are often considered personality disorders or diseases and an indicator of issues stemming from the mental health or well-being of an individual. So, what really is mental health and how does it impact us in day-to-day life?

Simply put mental health is our emotional, psychological, and social response to people and life circumstances. Thereby it's very pervasive and impacts or affects the way we think, feel and act. While, positive mental health can help us realize our full potential, cope with stress in life; work productively and meticulously; make a meaningful contribution to the community.

On the other hand, negative mental health can lead to eat and sleep disorders; pulling away from people; having low self-esteem and confidence issues; experiencing extreme mood swings; feeling numb or numbness towards others; unexplained aches and pains; feelings of helplessness or hopelessness; substance abuse; feeling unusually confused; forgetfulness, edginess, frequent loss of temper; being constantly upset, worrying too much; being scared or threatened; fights or brawls with family and friends; hallucinations; thoughts of self-harm or harming others; inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school and the list can go on and on.

Triggered by the ongoing global pandemic, mental health issues across the world have spiked further, due to loss of jobs, loved ones, lack of social lives, ongoing negativity, and threat to survival. According to the Global Burden of Disease study, anxiety, mood, trauma, and stress-related disorders are fast becoming the prime contributors to mental health illnesses world-over. Covid is continuing to have a severe bearing on the collective mood and sentiment of the human race, it has pulled the confidence levels down, despite the humans will to succeed and overcome the crisis.

With work, school, shopping, exercises and all other activities and pursuits done from home, people from across age groups are left with excessive free time in hand; unable to manage or productively consume this time, which is leading to frustration, dullness, depression, unhealthy and mental illnesses.

While one can choose to invest this time wisely and develop or explore new skill sets and hobbies, people are largely still continuing to spend time on wasteful and passive pursuits like scrolling social media, watching Netflix, playing online games, which though, is helping them in a way from staying-off the negative mood, however, is causing a huge psychological shift.

In such a situation, the idea of success, being purposeful, achieving goals and staying motivated may look quite grim and elusive. But the fact really is that for us to spring back and come out of this situation it is imperative that we adjust our lens and focus back on our dreams and aspirations and start all over again with new enthusiasm.

Now how do we really break away from these patterns of a downward spiral or keep a check on ourselves, when getting sapped into the whirl of negative emotions?

Here is a quick checklist of things you can take up:

Talk it out

One of the simplest ways to keep a check on your mental well-being is to create a support group or structure for yourselves, where you can talk and share your thoughts and feeling. This could be a friend, a group of friends or someone very dear to you from your family. Confide in these people or persons, so there is enough venting of emotions without any judgements. This will help you relieve stress or pent-up emotions, anguish or pain. As when we talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary.

Dont shy away from seeking professional help

Yes, you heard it right, sometimes it's most difficult to emotionally reach out to those who are your closest and there is nothing wrong with that. So, in situations, where you find yourself totally clueless, confused or stuck and unable to express yourself, it could be a good idea to plan a trip to a phycologist or counsellors clinic. This will not only help break some barriers with your own self, it can literally help you walk out with a new perspective.

Consider these visits as a part of your self-care regime, ultimately you are responsible to take care of your mind as much as your body! So, dont hesitate!

Give yourself positive affirmations and empowering context

It is said your word creates your world, so be watchful of what and how you speak to yourself. The inner voice or continuous conversation that you have with yourself through the day is critical to your well-being. Keep a close check on the quality of your conversations with yourself. Negative and disempowering self-talk will only pull your confidence and energy levels down, resulting in unenthusiasm and a lack of positivity. On the contrary, writing or reminding yourself of some encouraging positive affirmations will set you off on a positive and energizing day ahead. Affirming simple sentences like I am happy, I am grateful, I am successful, I am joyous etc. throughout the day, work like magic!

Calm your stressed nerves with relaxing music, yoga or meditation

These activities are also called transformative and have many health benefits like mood elevation, ease anxiety, sharpens mind and memory, improves sleep, relieves pain, boosts immunity and protects the heart by lowering heart rate, blood pressure, adrenaline and stress-related hormone, cortisol.

Be physically active

Physical activity helps activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

Take enough deep breaths and get good sleep

Yes, our bodys self-healing mechanism is the strongest ones. So, heal and gain from your inner intelligence by doing these simple things - take frequent deep breaths through the day, either in sitting or lying down posture. Also, catch good sleep and for that, put some relaxing meditation music 10minutes before crashing out! As it helps in easing and evoking the bodys relaxation response.

So, take charge of your life and live it the way you want to, for Sometimes the people around you wont understand your journey. They dont need to, its not for them. Joubert Botha.

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EXCLUSIVE: The effects of mental health on well being by Amandeep Thind - PINKVILLA