‘Jewish Fitness Coach’ runs marathon as Batman

“Meeting Yarden Bibas was one of the most meaningful moments of my life so far,” Yoel Levy told The AJN.

UK-based Levy, who combines fitness with activism under the name The Jewish Fitness Coach on social media, ran the entire Sydney Marathon dressed as Batman in honour of Ariel and Kfir Bibas and their mother Shiri. He carried an image of the young brothers and he also ran with them as his screensaver to motivate him throughout the race.

Levy first gained attention when he ran the Jerusalem Marathon as Batman and he then had the honour of meeting Yarden Bibas and his family after the London Marathon.

“It really changed my perspective on so many things,” Levy said.

“I met him and his amazing mother Pnina, who is also the grandmother of Ariel and Kfir, and she gave me a Batman pin for the Sydney Marathon and future marathons. It’s very tough for them, but it reminds me to be grateful every day and it motivates me to overcome any challenges in my life.”

Levy met Yarden’s Sydney-based aunt and cousins after the marathon and said his connection to the Bibas family has grown.

“I have not had to go through the pain, but they’ve accepted me to be able to tell their story,” he said.

“I see Yarden as a friend, a good person with a great heart, and I hope to see him many more times in the future.”

Levy said the reaction he gets running as Batman inspires sadness, but also inspiration.

“Running is meant to be about inspiring the next generation, inspiring someone to push themselves outside of their comfort zone,” he said.

“But with this story, it reminds us how tough it’s been around the world as Jews, especially Israelis in Israel and this very sad story. The reaction has been positive because it’s sparked change, especially in the non-Jewish communities. We’ve had a lot of non-Jewish people comment, or message me, and say they’ve learned about the Bibas boys, which is really meaningful.”

Levy joined Israel’s Shalva team for the marathon, an inspiring organisation that embraces individuals with disabilities.

“I’m very proud to run for this charity.”