Surviving Trauma Through Sport: Guy Felixbrodt Joins Dead Sea Swim
Guy Felixbrodt, who lost family in a 1981 crash, will swim the Dead Sea to highlight environmental crisis and personal trauma recovery through sports.
Guy Felixbrodt, 51, who lost his father and sister in a tragic car accident at age five, is set to participate in the 10th Dead Sea Swim on Friday. For Felixbrodt, the grueling five-kilometer open-water swim is both a personal healing milestone and a platform to raise awareness about the severe ecological crisis facing the Dead Sea.
Overcoming Childhood Trauma Through Sport
In March 1981, when Felixbrodt was five and a half, his family was involved in a head-on collision with a truck near Yotvata while driving from Haifa to Eilat. His father died on the way to the hospital, and one of his sisters passed away later. All other family members sustained injuries. Growing up in the 1980s, when psychological support for trauma was limited, Felixbrodt struggled with severe nightmares and anxiety for years.
"Writing poetry, reading, and above all, moving and going to the sea helped heal me," Felixbrodt said. He later moved to New York in 2000, where he founded a private school. After the birth of his daughter in 2004, he sought professional psychological help, including EMDR therapy, while realizing that physical activity and athletics played a vital role in releasing trauma.
Meaningful Athletics and Healing Others
Felixbrodt is known for combining endurance sports with social causes. In 2018, he became the first person to complete the South Africa Ironman 70.3 while juggling three balls. In 2022, he completed the New York Ironman triathlon barefoot to promote barefoot running as a physical and mental health tool. Since the October 7 attacks, he has actively worked with reservists, Nova festival survivors, bereaved families, and combat veterans, incorporating movement, nutrition, and barefoot walking into emotional support programs.
"Nature is our ultimate healing place," Felixbrodt noted regarding his decision to join the Dead Sea Swim. "The Dead Sea is one of the most remarkable healing spots in the world, yet we have neglected and damaged it. As an Israeli, I take personal responsibility and ask what I can do to stop this ecological disaster."
