University of Richmond Athletics
Piercy Set for Maccabiah Games in Israel
06/23/2017 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Very few athletes get the opportunity to represent their country on an international level. In less than a week, junior swimmer Nicole Piercy will be on a plane to Israel to compete for Maccabi USA in the 20th World Maccabiah Games.
Piercy is no stranger to international competition. In 2011, when she was just 14 years old, she won eight gold medals and two silver medals in the 12th annual Pan-American Maccabi Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
“My coach at the time, just threw my name in without telling me and surprised me. He said, 'hey I put your name and times in for this, how do you feel about going to Brazil?'” Piercy said. “So I went for it. It was my first international travel ever and it was a really cool experience.”
After bringing home 10 medals from the 2011 Maccabi Pan-American Games, she knew the summer of her junior year in high school there would be a Maccabiah competition in Israel.
The Maccabiah is the world's largest Jewish athletic competition in the tradition and values of Maccabi, emphasizing the centrality of the State of Israel in the life of Jewish people. The main principle of the Maccabiah is to facilitate a worldwide gathering of young Jewish athletes in Israel, staging the highest possible levels of sports competition, and strengthening their connection to the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
“I wanted to apply [back then] but I knew I had a summer conflict so I didn't even apply,” she said. “I knew in the next four years there would be another opportunity but I wouldn't be a junior swimmer, I'd be an open swimmer and it would be more competitive.”
That didn't stop Piercy. Last summer she was scrolling through Facebook, she saw that her coach from the Maccabi Pan-American Games posted that applications were open for the 2017 Maccabiah Games.
“I figured why not, so I applied a year ago,” she said. “I didn't hear until January that I made the team. I was pretty shocked; I didn't think I would get it. They actually called me during training trip with the team over the Christmas break and they needed me to say I could go right away. There was no time to think about it – so I was going to do this.”
Jumping at an opportunity to represent your country in the sport you love seems to be a no-brainer. However there were a lot of other factors that Piercy had to consider.
“I was trying to weigh my options with internships, doing research, and getting ahead with classes,” Piercy said. “I wasn't really sure if it was the best decision, but I figured there's no professional swimming and there's no future in swimming after college so I figured why not take the opportunity.”
Piercy, who will spend close to four weeks in Israel, will also get all the perks of a birthright trip while she is abroad. Birthright is an organized heritage trip to Israel for young adults of Jewish heritage, aged 18-26. The trip, comprised of many young adults who are visiting Israel for the first time, includes travel throughout the country to religious and cultural sites such as Jerusalem, the Western Wall, and the Dead Sea.
Upon arrival in Israel, Piercy's week-long Israel Connect program starts immediately with travelling across the country, visiting historical sites and bonding with her new teammates.
The Opening Ceremony for the 20th annual Maccabiah Games is set for July 4. In total, Piercy is swimming in five events: 200 back, 400 free, 400 IM, 800 free, and an open water 5K swim. Her first event, the 200 back, will take place on July 9 and she wraps up with competition on July 18 before returning home.
“I'm most excited about being in Israel. It's something that I've looked forward to my entire life. I think almost every Jewish kid growing up dreams of going to Israel,” Piercy said. “Getting to go there and represent my country is something that not many athletes get to do. It's an amazing feeling and I love being a part of something that is so much bigger than myself. That's why I love our swim team so much. I think the feeling of walking out in an opening ceremony representing your country, and representing Jewish athletes is going to be really cool.”
Editor's Note: When Nicole returns to the States, Spider Voices will sit down with her to talk about her experience in Israel and what it was like to compete on an international stage.
About Maccabiah Games
July 4-18 | 10,000 athletes, 47 sports, 80 countries
For more information and to follow the action: http://www.maccabiah.com/2017/
Maccabiah Swimming Schedule: Click Here
Maccabi World Union is the largest and longest running Jewish sports organization spanning over five continents, more than 60 countries, 450 clubs, and 400,000 members. MWU is a Zionist organization that utilizes sports as a means to bring Jewish people of all ages closer to Judaism and Israel in addition to various informal educational activities in a manner that surpasses politics and sectarianism. Many Maccabi clubs serve as community centers and youth movements providing a diversity of educational, cultural, social and sports activities under one roof. In addition, Maccabi has its unique international signature activity in Jewish sports, the Macciabiah Games in Israel, which take place every four years.
The Maccabiah is the world's largest Jewish athletic competition in the tradition and values of Maccabi, emphasizing the centrality of the State of Israel in the life of Jewish people. The main principle of the Maccabiah is to facilitate a worldwide gathering of young Jewish athletes in Israel, staging the highest possible levels of sports competition, and strengthening their connection to the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
Players Mentioned
