Teddy Kaplan - support sporting excellence

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Teddy Kaplan, who made Aliyah from Cape Town in 1970, and who served previously in Machal, is a unique sportsman.  He has represented South Africa and Israel in many world and European championships in weight-lifting, track and field, and body-building sports and has brought great honour to his home countries by winning very many gold, silver and bronze medals.  To this day, since 1986, at the age of 76, he is still the world and European champion and record holder in weight-lifting in his age group!  In 2010 he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Teddy, who lives on the campus at Wingate Institute and who works as a sports coach. He plans to participate in the European Masters Weightlifting Championships next month in Germany.  He is confident of bringing back more medals.

We would like to help Teddy raise sufficient funds (about $2,000) to enable him to participate in the Championship and bring further credit and honour to Israel. To assist please contact Sidney Shapiro at Telfed on 09-790-7801 or email sidney@telfed.org.il

To watch a video clip of teddy please see:  http://www.leadel.net/talks/sports-travel/teddy-kaplan

The wording of the Internation Jewish Sports Hall of Fame award:

Teddy Kaplan

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Presented: 2010
Location: Israel

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In recognition of his achievements as a Masters athlete spanning five decades in three disciplines: Track and Field, Weightlifting and Body Building. In Weightlifting, South African-born Israeli Teddy Kaplan, between the ages of 45-70, has been a winner of 7 gold, and one silver medal at nine World Masters Championships; 5 gold medals at the European Masters championships; and a silver at the World Masters Games.

He holds or has held 15 World records in multiple Masters age groups. In Masters Track and Field, Kaplan competed in four World and two European Championships, winning a bronze medal, and earning three finals berths. As a Masters Body-Builder, Kaplan was the top-ranked competitor in the 50+ age group, and competed when he was 70 years old. Teddy Kaplan, who represented South Africa and Israel as a weightlifter at numerous Maccabiah Games, has been a role model for sport excellence in Israel.