Team Israel makes history at the Invictus Games

by AJNews Staff

(AJNews) – We already know that Israel’s injured heroes are champions and they were true to form at the 2025 Invictus Games held in Canada this month.

From February 6 – 16, 2025, 28 national teams made up of 500 athletes competed in the Invictus Games Vancouver | Whistler 2025. This year, competing across multiple sports, Team Israel was exclusively represented by a total of 22 Beit Halochem members proving that resilience knows no limits! The athletes ranged in ages from the youngest – just 20 years old – to the oldest, 53.

With representation from each Beit Halochem Centre, Team Israel brought home gold, silver, and bronze; but, winning medals at the Invictus Games Vancouver | Whistler 2025 is just a bonus. Team Israel rose to unexpected challenges – forming a Wheelchair Curling team without any experience or training and joining a multi-national Sitting Volleyball squad – demonstrating that teamwork is without borders.

Perseverance, determination, and strength was on full display by Team Israel at the Invictus Games 2025!

All four centres of Beit Halochem were represented among the athletes: Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Be’er Sheva, and Haifa. They competed in 6 sports including: Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding, coached by Inbal Yahav, Indoor Rowing, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, coached by Eran Groumi, Wheelchair Basketball, coached by Ariel Ottolenghi and Wheelchair Curling, coached by Eran Groumi. Of the members on Beit Halochem.- Team Israel, 7 were wounded in the current Swords of Iron war. The team won 13 medals including 6 gold – 5 of which were in swimming events. The sixth was in Wheelchair Basketball.

Once again the Israeli team demonstrated the true inclusive spirit of the Invictus Games.

Although Team Israel was not registered to compete in Wheelchair Curling, it was approached by the Canadian hosts with the opportunity to compete in this year’s Invictus Games. Without any experience or exposure to curling, four swimmers accepted the challenge and formed a team led by swimming coach, Eran Groumi. After just a few hours of training, Team Israel’s athletes went on to defeat the Canadian hosts for a Bronze medal win!

Another sport for which Israel hadn’t originally registered was Sitting Volleyball. The team, once again, was approached by the Canadian hosts and encouraged to join an “Unconquered” team, made up of competitors from various nations without enough competitors to form a single national team. Five members of Team Israel volunteered. The “Unconquered” team was made up of the Israeli competitors, two from the team of Afghani Exiles, a Lithuanian, an Italian, and a Ukrainian. The team was coached by a Ukrainian coach.

Yasher Koach to the athletes and coaches and to everyone at Beit Halochem and the Invictus Games!