When Nili Bullock steps into the boxing ring, her national anthem of choice is always Alicia Keys' rendition of “Girl on Fire.”
But last month, when the 29-year-old defended her world title in Paris, she replaced the title with “Am Yisrael Chai,” representing the state of Israel.
And after defeating her Belgian opponent, she stood on a podium with a gold medal draped in the Israeli flag as images of hostages held by Hamas flashed behind her and the Israeli national anthem “Hatikvah” played. received.
“Right now, it's more important than ever to show that I'm not just here for myself, but for Israel and for the men, women and children who have been kidnapped.” It is my duty to hold it high and show it to the world,” Block told ISRAEL21c, adding that he felt great support from the audience at the Grand Palais Ephémère.
the toughest year
Brock may seem hurt and tough, but she's not afraid to share her vulnerable side.
In her words to the crowd after the game, she said the past year has been a great one for both herself and the country she has called home since she was 2 years old, when her family moved here from Maryland. He said it was difficult.
Last year, her father was diagnosed with a terminal illness and passed away shortly thereafter. She then suffered near-fatal injuries to her neck. And the Hamas atrocity occurred on October 7th.
A very specific training plan developed by his long-time coach Benny Cogan (also the coach of the Israeli national kickboxing and Muay Thai teams) allowed Brock to rehabilitate himself to peak fitness.
“It is my duty to raise our national flag high and show it to the world.”
Then came the opportunity to defend her 2019 world title (61.5 kg) in France against Helene Conard, a “very worthy opponent with Mike Tyson's knockout style.”
The strategy adopted by the victorious Israeli was to “move a lot” to make his opponent look heavy and make him miss his punches. This is a type of mental manipulation in which you cause her frustration. It's also a way to claim territory. ”
start early
Brock started kickboxing at age 10 after his mother, Lina, who was a Border Patrol agent, started kickboxing to learn self-defense. Brock met Kogan while training at Jerusalem's Teddy Stadium.
Despite growing up in a devout Zionist family and attending a religious organization, Ulpana (a religious girls' high school), Brock felt comfortable receiving training there.
“Even though we were Jewish and Muslim Arabs, we had no politics or preconceptions. Maybe boxing is such a physical, contact sport that you have to let everything go. You can’t go against someone with all your might with the idea of hurting them.”
The third of seven children in what she describes as a physically active family, Brock excelled at running and American football growing up, but at age 17 she focused solely on kickboxing and Muay Thai (full-contact martial arts). I decided to do it.
In the same year, he won his first Muay Thai World Championship (flyweight) in Bangkok.
Block explains that many Israelis spend large amounts of time in Thailand training and competing. She recently got to “eat, live and sleep Muay Thai” there for two months at a training camp.
overcome disappointment
Brock won seven world titles and four European medals in kickboxing and Muay Thai. She is the only Israeli female athlete with these qualifications, and she has won the title of Israeli Athlete of the Year six times in a row.
Despite these accolades, she admits that neither Muay Thai nor kickboxing are Olympic sports, making it difficult for them to gain wider recognition.
“There has been a lot of hype about Muay Thai for the past 10 years, and we were confident for a long time that Muay Thai would be included in the 2024 Paris Games, but that didn't happen.”
Block, who earned a degree in psychology from Reichmann University in Herzliya last year, said she was disappointed but “I'm not going to cry over spilled milk.” I'm thinking about where I can use my abilities and monetize them. ”
One of the ways we support her as a professional sportswoman is through the Nili Power Collection, a range of products available on her website.
proud of her scars
She recently began appearing on motivational speaking shows in Israel and the United States, and in a talk titled “Apex Predators.”
She illustrates this with the example of a lion hunting prey while being wounded.
“A lion may be limping or bleeding all over, but nothing will stop them from chasing their prey. This is my life lesson and why I was drawn to the sport. That's why. I like the physical demands of being nervous and out of my comfort zone when the adrenaline is pumping.
“I'm proud of my scars,” she says.
