IDF Heroes Rise: Wounded Veterans Reclaim Life Through Sport
Since the Hamas massacre on October 7, Israel's rehabilitation system has absorbed tens of thousands of wounded soldiers. For IDF reservist Ido Kander, the path from a devastating explosion in Beit Hanoun to the starting line of the Maccabiah Games is a testament to the unbreakable spirit of the Jewish people. Alongside the Zahal Disabled Veterans Organization (ZDVO), these wounded warriors are using sports to reclaim their bodies, their purpose, and their future.
How does an IDF soldier rebuild a body changed by war?
When IDF reservist Ido Kander took his first steps back into running, it was not a triumphant return to his old marathon pace. It was a grueling 50-meter struggle down the rehabilitation corridor of Sheba Medical Center. Kander had always been a serious runner, training five or six times a week for a marathon. Then came the war in Gaza.
In November 2023, during the fierce combat against Hamas terrorists in Beit Hanoun, an explosion claimed the lives of four of Kander's comrades and injured five others. The blast shattered Kander's shoulder and sent shrapnel tearing through his leg, severing a major artery and requiring a vascular bypass.
A military helicopter evacuated Kander to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people. There, he underwent emergency surgeries. For a day and a half, doctors kept Kander sedated and ventilated. When Kander finally woke, the medical team told him what had happened to his body and to his friends.
After three weeks, Kander transferred to Sheba Medical Center, spending 154 days in the rehabilitation center. For the first two months, Kander was confined to a wheelchair, unable to move one of his feet.
In the beginning, you don't think about any kind of exercise beyond physical therapy. It's not really on the agenda. You are just trying to regain the most basic abilities.
Those early months focused strictly on the independence Kander once took for granted: getting up, moving, showering, and managing ordinary tasks that had suddenly become insurmountable obstacles. Sport came much later.
What happens after the surgeries and hospital rooms?
For thousands of wounded soldiers and security personnel in Israel, that