Meet Bat-El Gatterer, First Orthodox Jewish Female Olympian

Meet Bat-El Gatterer, First Orthodox Jewish Female Olympian

Virtually meet Bat-El Gatterer, the first ever Orthodox Jewish Female Olympian in the history of the world and women's 2010 European featherweight champion.

"Once, in Germany, I walked three hours in the snow [on Shabbos],” Gatterer recalled. “And when I get to the competition, I was like, how you say, "a snowman." And two minutes after I get there, they called me to the fight....[laughs]...But it's OK. I win."

Gatterer was born and raised in Kokhav Ya’akov, a settlement in Israel perched on a hill top in the West Bank approximately 20 minutes from Jerusalem where she did her training in the sport. She trained with the Ahi Yehuda taekwondo club in Jerusalem and also the Wingate Institute near Netanya. After finishing her religious schooling, she served in the Israel Defense Forces for two years.

Starting fighting classes at age 9, Gatterer specifically competed in taekwondo, starting to practice the sport more intensely beginning at age 12. The sport was chosen because it was the only available after school activity that was compatible with her mother’s work schedule at the time. 

Gatterer has competed and won medals in the Austrian Open, the Dutch Open, German Open, Croatian Open, Trelleborg Open, Belgian and Greek Opens, and competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China on behalf of her native country of Israel, as well as having other athletic successes in various other competitions.

"I was a little surprised to have qualified,” Gatterer said upon being accepted to compete in the 2008 Olympic Games. “It is a great achievement and it is the dream of every sportsman, but people believed in me."

Written by Erin Parfet

 

 

Related Articles

More From Prose

Forgiveness

Three years ago, a friend said something to me that hurt very deeply. I was speechless. I could…
Forgiveness

The Workman's Circle

When I was growing up in my Jewish world I would often hear about a Jewish organization called…
The Workman's Circle

A Lawsuit with God

One of the most beautifully haunting pieces of cantorial music I have ever sung was called A…
A Lawsuit with God

The Time I Hated God

That period of time may have lasted about a year or so, but the amount of time isn’t that…
The Time I Hated God

A Zionist Muslim

It's rare to find a Zionist Muslim, rarer yet to see one speak publicly about his support of…
A Zionist Muslim

Dorchester

On February 3, 1943 a torpedo struck the S.S. Dorchester. Chaos reigned on board as the boat…
Dorchester

Rabbi Arthur Lelyveld

Rabbi Arthur Lelyveld came into my life in the early 1960’s. He was then the senior rabbi at…
Rabbi Arthur Lelyveld

Is God's Law My Creed?

In the 1980’s Gerry was selling religious literature door to door.
Is God's Law My Creed?

Burned but Beautiful

An EMT volunteer for United Hatzalah in Israel named Yoav Shemaryahu responded to a medical…
Burned but Beautiful

Sidney Robboy

Robboy was born in Russia during the cruel anti-Semitic pogroms of the Czars. When Sidney was a…
Sidney Robboy

Sick Logic and Biblical Wisdom

I was in a training class for a new job. One day the teacher mentioned that we had been exposed…
Sick Logic and Biblical Wisdom

Rachmonis

Rachmonis (the Yiddish word for mercy and pity) I remember coming home from school many times…
Rachmonis

Quiet Desperation

The writer and great thinker Thoreau wrote “most people lead lives of quiet desperation and go…
Quiet Desperation

Publish the Menu module to "offcanvas" position. Here you can publish other modules as well.
Learn More.