As the 2024 Paris Olympics continue, 20-year-old Women’s Wrestling prodigy Amit Elor from Team USA is set to face her most difficult challenge yet. In this rare case, the challenge is not who the first-time Olympian is facing but the day on which she is competing.

In 2022, Elor’s father, Yair Elor, passed away, causing a sudden and tragic loss for the young star. This happened during the wake of the pandemic, which was gut-wrenching. Moreover, this would be her second loss after losing her older brother, Oshry, in 2018. Had her father been alive, Monday would’ve been his 67th birthday. It is also the day of her first match in the 2024 Olympics.

As if losing a loved one wasn’t hard enough, the circumstances ahead of his passing impacted Elor even more. Her brother Orry stated, “He died because he isolated himself, and he did not seek medical.” To this, her mother, Elana Elor, added, “We don’t know exactly what happened, but that broke (Amit’s) heart because he died alone.”

Despite the tragedy and toll her father’s passing took on her, Elor won her first senior world title the same year. Her father passed away in April 2022, and in September, her career hit the ground running. After her win, she said, “It was really hard to continue after that and just be OK, mentally.” However, the support he provided her until his passing motivated her to do him proud.

Elor will compete in the 68-kilogram weight class. She usually competes in the 72-kilogram class, but this would be her first time competing at this weight internationally. Her current biggest challenge is facing off against the top-ranked competitors during the early stages of the competition.

Amit Elor’s road to glory was filled with tragedy

Despite being on the stage of the 2024 Olympics, Elor’s life has been far from smooth sailing. As mentioned earlier, she lost her older brother along with her father. This did impact her life, and she mentioned that she “never truly felt my age.” Along with the pain and grief came her first under-20 world title at the age of 17. Following this was her first senior world championship a year later. Elor’s mother described her ability to compartmentalize her pain and grief, which allowed her to compete despite the family tragedy.

Elor has mentioned multiple times that her performances have surprised her. With her mind made up to make her father proud, she said, “I hope I can shock myself at the Olympics, too.” Elor has been hailed as the next big thing in women’s wrestling, which has fortified her mentally. In a sport filled with twists and turns, fans patiently await what the prodigy does.

What are your thoughts on Elor’s tragic road to glory? Tell us in the comments.