The fastest woman in Israel is an observant Jew who wears a skirt, covers her hair and honors the Creator.
Her name is Beatie Deutsch and she’s an immigrant from the United States who lives in Jerusalem with her husband and five children.
This past Friday the 28-year-old athlete was the first Israeli woman to cross the finish line in the 42.2 kilometer (26.2 mile) Jerusalem Marathon, and the 25th fastest runner overall, with her husband and children cheering from the sidelines.
Deutsch posted her feelings about the race on her Facebook page: “We know Jerusalem is the holiest city on earth, and I truly felt God’s loving hand guiding me along the course.”
The runner said she felt that she was going too fast, but she decided to just go with it: “Either I’m going to fail and bonk or I’m going to trust in God and if this is plan for me He can carry me to the finish line.” She added that her trust and faith in God is what powered her through.
Beatie Deutsch finished the Marathon in just three hours and nine minutes, beating her own estimated time for the race.
