14-Year-Old Chooses Shabbat over the Olympics
9th grader, Estee Ackerman, is ranked 14 in the US for table tennis. But when this year’s olympic trials, and Estee’s final shot at making the team for the 2016 Rio olympics, coincided with Shabbat, Estee decided to pass on her shot at making the olympic team.
She told Chabad.org, “I was disappointed; I love playing on such a big stage and the beautiful crowds that come to watch. But as much as I love table tennis … not playing on Shabbos is a greater reward.”
This decision will stand her in good stead all her life. It is remarkable that someone so very young could make such a difficult choice. She cose well.