HERSHKO Raz

General
TEENAGE CHALLENGES
She was often teased while she was growing up for being overweight. "The others [at school] didn't always accept me as I am. I was a little plump, and that didn't suit the build of other girls my age. I was also into judo, and they used to say, 'Ah, that's a sport for men. You're fat'. The way teens tease people, you know. When you're a teenager, it's not easy to accept the fact that people label you. It wasn't pleasant. [But my friends and family] embraced me and enveloped me, and explained to me that it's all right to do what I wanted and what I loved. Your weight isn't what defines you, what you do isn't what defines you. Yes, it was hard for me, and for three years I was very hurt by many things. I would go to my mother and she would always strengthen me. Only with time did I develop immunity." (sport5.co.il, 07 Jun 2021; haaretz.com, 19 Apr 2021)

HEAVYWEIGHT CATEGORY
She competes in the +78kg weight category. "I think I'm among the smallest, if not the smallest, in this weight class. When I started competing at this weight, there were two years of losses and it was a real downer. As someone who used to stand on the podiums and win all the time [in lighter weight categories], to suddenly arrive in the big leagues where you're supposed to prove what you did as a child and a teenager and to explode, and it doesn't happen - that really got me down. But each time the staff gave me a wake-up call and encouraged me, saying, 'Let's continue to work, it will happen when it happens'. And now it's happening. I have no words. It's great fun." (haaretz.com, 19 Apr 2021)