Tomer Margalit is an Israeli wheelchair dancer who continues to win international titles and proudly showcase her Israeli identity to the world. Her performance with her dance partner, Orel Chalaf, earned them first place at the Para Dance Sport European Championship held in Prague on Friday. Their routine, set to Eden Golan's Eurovision song "Hurricane", was dedicated to the release of the hostages.
Margalit, 29, from Ness Ziona, has been in a wheelchair since the age of 14 due to a health complication, but she hasn’t let that stop her. “At first, it was a tough and complex period because I was already a dancer and didn’t know how I could continue. People suggested wheelchair dancing, but I didn’t want to hear about it until Limor Goldberg Samuel from the Israel Sports Association for the Disabled asked me to just give it a try."
"I got into a dance chair at Beit Halochem in Tel Aviv and my coach, Yelena Feitelicher, turned on the music. That moment, I fell in love with dancing all over again and realized it doesn’t matter if you’re in a wheelchair or on your feet – sports are the same. I haven’t stopped dancing since," she recounted.
Her dance partner, 21-year-old professional Latin dancer Orel Chalaf, didn’t hesitate when asked to dance with Margalit. “Initially, it felt a little different but I quickly realized that in terms of leading and performing the elements we need, it’s just like dancing with my standing partners."
"I learn something new from Margalit every day. She’s amazing, and as a European champion, she reinvents the wheel daily. She has to bring something new to maintain her title in every competition," he added.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Margalit, also the world championship runner-up, says training is never-ending. Regardless of her achievements – or maybe because of them – she’s constantly striving to improve. “Like any athlete, you always need to be better to achieve better results. We work hard, training several hours every day. We have a structured daily training routine focusing on stamina and choreography. To win medals, you can’t ever stop.”