Yehonatan Levi, a 16-year-old table tennis champion, overcome serious birth defects. He was born in Chicago.
In Chicago, Levi and other athletes are collecting money for the Israel Parasport Center, which supports athletes with impairments in their pursuit of sports.
Levi’s goal is to compete in the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028.
Levi is collecting money for a center in Israel that supports athletes with impairments so they may participate in sports, together with other Paralympic athletes.
Levi has an incredible tale. He was born in Chicago, and during birth, forceps crushed his skull, partially paralyzing his left side of the body. Levi has been hurt, but he hasn’t given up.
“From the injury, I’m injured on the left side of the body,” stated Levi. “The hand, legs, and eye are visible. However, I’m not giving up. working diligently all the time.”
After moving to Israel with his family when he was six years old, Levi got interested in table tennis and the Israel Parasport Center, a Northfield, Minnesota-based organization that provides sports opportunities for Israelis with disabilities. The facility helps athletes from all walks of life, especially those impacted by armed conflict.
To generate money for the center, Levi and 10-year-old Omer Gadot, a fellow athlete, are playing table tennis in Chicago this week. The Israel Parasport Center’s director, Jennifer Flink, stressed the facility’s inclusiveness.
“The only thing you need to come to the center is a physical disability,” Flink stated. “We check politics at the door and we’re really about being the best person you can be.”
Levi is now aiming for the Los Angeles Paralympic Games in 2028 because he is that good at table tennis.
It feels good to do something you enjoy and find fulfilling. “I am putting a lot of effort into representing my nation and SportsCenter in the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles,” Levi remarked.
Attorney Steve Levin, who prevailed in the medical malpractice case pertaining to Levi’s birth injuries, was also present at the occasion on Wednesday. Levin looked about with shock at seeing Yehonatan now.
“If you look at what he was like then and you compare it to what he is now, it’s in my professional career one of the most amazing things I have ever seen,” Levin stated. “And gratifying and heartwarming.”
Due to growing demand at the Israel Parasport facility as a result of Middle East war fatalities, Levi and the athletes from the facility will shortly travel to New York to carry out fundraising efforts.