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Vernon's own Leah Goldstein inducted into the 2025 International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame

Hall of fame for Goldstein

She's a world champion kickboxer, a world-class cyclist, martial arts expert and elite global athlete and now Leah Goldstein can add hall of fame inductee to her list of achievements.

Goldstein, who calls Vernon home, has been inducted into the 2025 International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

“Being inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame is one of the greatest honours an athlete can receive. I am deeply humbled and profoundly grateful to join this prestigious legacy. This July will mark a defining moment in my athletic journey, a memory I will cherish forever,” Goldstein said on her Facebook page.

“I will embrace this honour with immense pride and gratitude, carrying this moment in my heart as a lasting reminder of the power of perseverance, dedication, and love for my sport.”

Born in Vancouver and raised in Israel, Goldstein is an enduring multi-sport champion.

In 1989 at the age of 17, she became the women’s world kickboxing champion.

Shortly thereafter, she enlisted in the Israeli military and became one of the few female instructors of the elite commando division, specializing in Krav Maga, a self defence system developed in Israel.

Goldstein then transitioned into a Special Forces unit, combating terrorism and violent crime. The extreme lifestyle of the secret police eventually took its toll, and she found her salvation on a bicycle.

In 2021, she became the first woman to win the arduous, 3,000-mile cycling Race Across America.

Over the years she has compiled a long list of accomplishments, including Duathlon champion of Israel in 1998 and Israeli national women’s road cycling champion of 2008 and 2009.

In 2022, Goldstein set a new world record at the Hoodoo 500 ultra-marathon cycling event in Utah.

She was inducted into the hall of fame for her cycling and kickboxing achievements.

“The purpose of the IJSHOF is to honour Jewish individuals, worldwide, who have accomplished extraordinary achievements in sports and to honour those who have made significant contributions to society through sports,” says a post on the hall of fame website.



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