Moran Samuel

{{Short description|Israeli paralympic basketball player and rower}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Moran Samuel
מורן סמואל

| image = MORAN SAMUEL WORLD CHAMPION, PHOTO BY DETLEV SEYB.jpg

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| nationality = Israeli

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|04|24|df=y}}

| birth_place = Karmiel, Israel

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| education = Physiotherapy

| alma_mater = University of Haifa, Israel

| occupation = Athlete

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| spouse = Wife Limor Samuel Goldberg

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| country = {{ISR}}

| sport = Para-rowing

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| disability_class = PR1

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| club = Daniel Rowing Centre [Tel Aviv, ISR]

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| coach = Paola Grizzetti [personal], ITA

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| worlds = the 2015 Para Athlete of the Year by World Rowing

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| paralympics = Winning silver in the arms only single sculls at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo

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Moran Samuel{{cite web |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/athletes/athlete/41458/samuel-moran |title=Moran Samuel |author=World Rowing |access-date=29 February 2016}} ({{langx|he|מורן סמואל}}; April 24, 1982) is an Israeli paralympic basketball player and world champion rower.

She was chosen to light a ceremonial torch on Israel's Independence Day in 2019.{{Cite web |title=Athletics SAMUEL Moran |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/rowing/athlete-profile-n1293069-samuel-moran.htm |work=Tokyo 2020 Paralympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |date=24 August 2021 |accessdate=18 September 2021 |archive-date=31 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831064201/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/rowing/athlete-profile-n1293069-samuel-moran.htm |url-status=dead }} She represented Israel at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. She won a gold medal competing for Israel at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in the Women's single sculls.

Early life

Samuel grew up in Karmiel, Israel, in a Jewish family. She began playing basketball in her hometown. During her military service in the Israeli Air Force, she was an outstanding athlete enrolled in a program that permits top athletes to complete their mandatory service while representing the country in sports as well; after her service, she played on the Israel women's national basketball team.[http://www.jpost.com/Sports/Moran-Samuel-Paralympic-rower-part-time-basketball-champ-320363 Moran Samuel: Paralympic rower, part-time basketball champ]. Jerusalem Post{{Cite web |date=2013-07-19 |title=Moran Samuel: Paralympic rower, part-time basketball champ |url=https://www.jpost.com/sports/moran-samuel-paralympic-rower-part-time-basketball-champ-320363 |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=The Jerusalem Post|language=en}}

In 2006, Samuel suffered a spinal stroke[http://www.timesofisrael.com/meet-israels-parallel-olympians-those-with-amazing-stories-behind-the-medals/ Tales of tragedy, trauma and inspiration behind Israel’s Paralympic medal hopes]. Times of Israel timesofisrael Retrieved 17 August 2021 and became paralyzed in her lower body. After she recovered, she completed her academic studies at Haifa University and became a physical therapist,{{Cite web |title=Moran Samuel |url=https://www.wizo.org/program/guest-speakers/49-moran-samuel.html |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=www.wizo.org}} and then worked with the Paralympic Sports Association team on the re-establishment of the Israeli women's basketball team on wheelchairs.

Sports career

=Basketball=

File:Moran_Samuel_basketball.JPG

Playing with the national women's basketball team, she qualified for the European Wheelchair Basketball Championship, held in Nazareth in 2011, and simultaneously joined the Beit HaLohem team in Tel Aviv, with Samuel being the sole woman in an all-male team.[http://www.wizo.org/program/guest-speakers/49-moran-samuel.html Moran Samuel]. WIZO Beit LaLohem won the double championship in 2011. In 2013, she played for Israel at the European Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Frankfurt, with the team finishing in the seventh place overall. At this competition, she was voted one of the five best players in Europe titled "All Star Team".[https://planetacb.com/2013/07/08/llego-el-final-del-campeonato-de-europa-bsr-somos-bronce-cronica-fotos-entrevistas/ Llegó el final del Campeonato de Europa BSR. ¡¡¡SOMOS BRONCE!!! Crónica.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821005633/https://planetacb.com/2013/07/08/llego-el-final-del-campeonato-de-europa-bsr-somos-bronce-cronica-fotos-entrevistas/ |date=21 August 2016 }} {{in lang|es}}

=Rowing=

Samuel switched to Para rowing because she wanted to represent Israel at the Paralympic Games.

As part of her paralympic sport activities, and as suggested by her life partner, also a rower, Samuel started to train in rowing in 2010 and represented Israel at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games in London, finishing fifth. Earlier that year, she won a race in single scull competition at the Adaptive Rowing Regatte in Gavirate, Italy, but the organizers did not have a copy of the Hatikva, Israel's national anthem; she asked for the microphone and sang it instead.{{Cite news |title=Champion rower can sing, too |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/champion-rower-sings-her-own-anthem |date=2012-05-04 |access-date=2024-09-02 |work=Times of Israel}} In 2015, she won the gold medal at the World Cup event in Lake Varese,{{Cite web |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/sports/israeli-paralympic-rower-moran-samuel-wins-gold-medal-at-world-cup-406614 |title=Israeli paralympic rower Moran Samuel wins gold medal at World Cup |website=The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com |access-date=17 August 2021}} defeating the reigning world champion, Norwegian rower Birgit Skarstein.

At the 2015 World Rowing Championships held in Lac d'Aiguebelette, France, Samuel won the gold medal in the women's AS single sculls,{{Cite web |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1033191/moran-samuel-named-female-athlete-of-the-year-at-israeli-paralympic-committee-annual-awards |title=Moran Samuel named Female Athlete of the Year at Israeli Paralympic Committee annual awards |date=12 January 2016 |website=insidethegames.biz |access-date=17 August 2021}} thus earning a spot at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.{{Cite web |url=http://zdvo.org/new2/view.asp?id=438 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151227002215/http://zdvo.org/new2/view.asp?id=438 |url-status=dead |title=Moran Samuel clinches right to represent Israel in Rio; goes for Worlds medal |archive-date=27 December 2015 |access-date=17 August 2021}} Also, she received the bronze medal in June 2016 at the World Rowing Cup in Poznań.{{Cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/sport-week-samuel-balances-motherhood-training |title=Sport Week: Samuel balances motherhood, training |website=International Paralympic Committee |access-date=17 August 2021}}

Samuel took part in the torch-lighting ceremony at the 2017 Maccabiah Games in July 2017.{{Cite web |url=https://swimswam.com/ervin-gilot-participate-torch-lighting-maccabiah-games/ |title=Ervin, Gilot To Participate In Torch Lighting At Maccabiah Games |date=17 June 2017 |website=SwimSwam |access-date=17 August 2021}}

Samuel won the silver medal in the arms-only single sculls at the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo.{{Cite web |title=Rowing - Final A Results |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/rowing/results-pr1-women-s-single-sculls-pr1w1x-fnl-000100-.htm |work=Tokyo 2020 Paralympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |date=29 August 2021 |accessdate=18 September 2021 |archive-date=18 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918063133/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/rowing/results-pr1-women-s-single-sculls-pr1w1x-fnl-000100-.htm |url-status=dead }} It was after setting her personal best record in the repechage the day before.

==2024 Paris Paralympics==

She won a gold medal competing for Israel at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in the Women's single sculls.{{Cite news |title=Paris 2024 Paralympics: The Israeli Athletes to Look Out For |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/sports/2024-08-29/ty-article-timeline/.premium/paris-2024-paralympics-the-israeli-athletes-to-look-out-for/00000191-9ed3-d314-a9f5-9ff3ca030000 |last=Rakovsky |first=Ido |date=2024-08-29 |work=Haaretz}}[https://www.timesofisrael.com/rowers-take-gold-bronze-as-israel-continues-to-rack-up-paralympic-medals/ "Rowers take gold, bronze as Israel continues to rack up Paralympic medals; Champ Moran Samuel says the day, like the year, held mixed emotions; Druze rower Saleh Shahin, wounded in 2005 Gaza border terror attack, says he wanted to bring some ‘light’ to nation,"] The Times of Israel. She said: "we started today with terrible news [referencing the killing of six hostages in Gaza... and three police officers in the West Bank]... I told myself, ‘Moran, this is due to, this is because of and this is despite'” the difficult situation facing Israel at home. It’s a privilege to be here in this bubble at the Paralympic Games, and to finish with a gold medal — and to be able to scream the anthem from deep inside me is a moment I’ll never forget in my life... I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to sing the anthem… I hope everyone comes home."

Personal life

Samuel is a lesbian.{{Cite web |url=https://www.outsports.com/2016/9/5/12721338/moran-samuel-israel-paralympics-lesbian-gay |title=Israeli lesbian rower set for Paralympics |date=5 September 2016}} She and her wife have 2 children.{{Cite web |title=Paralympic Rowing Medallist and Mother of Three – Moran Samuel on Uniting Two Lives |url=https://www.europeanchampionships.com/news/paralympic-rowing-medallist-and-mother-of-three-moran-samuel-on-uniting-two-lives |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=European Championships |language=en-US}}