The Story of Hanoch Budin

“You take a 20 yr. old guy, he’s in the peak of his life, the prime of his life, arrogant, healthy, attractive, does positive things, commands men, fights, does things … Suddenly, you’re nothing, broken to bits, shattered”.
This is how Hanoch Budin describes what transpired during the 1982 First Lebanon.

War, where he served as a combatant in the Golani Infantry Brigade. He continues:

“We already had 2 casualties that morning and with time some wounded, too. You feel like you’re in a movie. You walk and everything’s happening around you, you see a wounded here, someone dead over there, you also shoot, you don’t get that you’re playing an active role in this movie. You know, there are things whistling over your head, blowing up beside you, you understand it’s your friends but it doesn’t sink in. This entire time you don’t think about anything, you’re just trying to stay alive.

The shell that hit me severed my arm on the spot. I looked and saw that my hand was gone, I let out a shriek. I started running. What I’m seeing is the broken bone surrounded by hanging shreds of flesh with no hand, you see the palm of the hand it’s gone, the hand was gone. You feel the injury, you see the faces of those around you, their reactions. The pain… life is over. This is death. You see it all, no woman will ever want you, you won’t have a job, you look like hell, you’re through, what’ll you do, you’re a nobody. All at once the picture becomes clear, the burden of life weighing down on you. You see it clearly, where will you turn, where can you work, what’ll you do?

My mom picks up the phone, I didn’t even have to say anything, she says: ‘You’re wounded!’, I said, yeah. My mother stood by me, strong as iron, my father sensible as always, suddenly death was gone. Just as it had come, so it left me. The first thing I did was I started to copy books, practiced using my left hand. I’m right handed. Once I began doing that it meant I was starting to live again.

I got involved in sports by chance, the guys who came to visit us at hospital, there’s this tradition that older disabled veterans come to visit the injured, sharing their fate. The best thing about Beit Halochem is that you go there and no one feels sorry for you. You are who you are. It’s great. There are things suited just for you, a framework that fits your needs; there are people who don’t want you to be miserable. Guys that were swimmers and had come to the hospital, I hooked up with them and began swimming.

Within a year and a half I already participated in my first Olympics. I came-in third place, lucked out; won the Bronze. That totally drew me in. All at once it takes you back to your near death and says, wow, look where you’re at now! Yet at the end of the day, although you’ve done it for yourself, you do it for your country.

For the first race, I swam a 400 m. free style and won the bronze; a nice bonus. I didn’t get too excited, hadn’t expected it, just happened. Then came the breaststroke race, by then I was at a very high level. However, I only came in 3rd place. I was sure I could take the Gold. The previous year I had already come close to the world record, I was at a very advanced level. But I only won the Bronze, it’s a defeat. This is your strongest style, what do you do? Two days later is the backstroke competition. You’re not a candidate for winning. But you know what, my entire ‘breaststroke’ race showed up for the backstroke race and said; I’m taking this no matter what. I plunged in and dove 30 meters, arms pulled way back, in the lane next to me the world champion, I come out after 30 m. and I see he’s at my feet, only at my legs. I said this is it; I’m not giving-in to him. I came out of the water, there were 9,000 spectators, and I bring my head out of the water after 30 meters. The noise, you know that sound AAARRGGHHH, it drives you mad, you feel currents up your body; it’s what you live for. Nothing else interested me; I knew I was ahead of him. My hand touched I turn and see the WR meaning ‘world record’ with my name next to it on the score board. I won the gold, nothing beats that! A piece of metal but it means you’re the best, the best. We returned after having been to Israel’s most accomplished Olympics. The Israeli swimmers won more than 30 medals, 12 of them Gold, we were an incredible team. My last medal was won in the 2001 European Championship, at age 39 in itself, an amazing feat because of my advanced age, so it was meaningful. I have 8 Olympic medals, 2 Gold, 5 Bronze and 1 Silver. I took part in 6 Olympics, We are Israel’s best Ambassadors, the athletes, especially the disabled athletes.

I swim about 4 km at least 4-5 times weekly at Tel Aviv’s Beit Halochem. In one day I swim what most people don’t walk in a week.

Beit Halochem is my natural habitat, the sport, swimming which is so important for me, but mostly the friends, like family.

I got married, had two children, and got divorced. I came across some negative reactions, and often met with some rejections because of my “hook”. You’re constantly falling. How you pick yourself up is entirely up to you. The trick is to always find the point from where you can grow and build something great.