Shiri Maimon on the brink: "My body could no longer take it"
Moments before the grand finale of Dancing with the Stars, Shiri Maimon reveals the severe physical and mental crisis she endured behind the scenes, the guilt towards her children, and the moment she almost broke.
Moments before she takes the floor tonight for the grand finale of "Dancing with the Stars," Shiri Maimon reflects on one of the most intense and exhausting periods of her career. Behind the glamour, the makeup, and the smiles for the judges, there were long months of grueling rehearsals from eight in the morning until seven in the evening, simultaneous performances, and managing a family with three children at the peak of summer vacation. The physical and mental strain did not spare the singer, who reached her limit more than once.
The main difficulty was not just the aching feet or the hours in the studio, but also the mental burnout and the price paid by her home life. When Maimon was asked about coping with the tight schedule, she admitted that her body and soul simply could not keep up:
"I would arrive at a rehearsal or a performance simply shattered, without knowing how to pick myself up. I thank my body every day for holding me up and managing to get through this event safely."
Alongside the physical exhaustion, feelings of guilt towards her family members accompanied her throughout the journey. While her partner Yoni took on full responsibility for the house and the children, the gap between Maimon's intense experience and the reality at home continued to grow. The most difficult moments occurred during daily conversations, when she tried to explain the magnitude of the effort:
"Sometimes we would return after a hard day, he would tell me 'I would trade places with you right now,' and I would answer 'You don't understand.' The problem was that my body could no longer carry me."
The peak of the crisis came when even the desire to continue was put to the test. After weeks of live broadcasts, Maimon felt unwell: "There was one day when I suddenly started saying sentences like 'This has to end.' I realized I had reached the edge and told myself, 'Wait a minute, breathe.' I had to work on my head all the time to keep going."
Today, as she is just a few steps away from the conclusion of the competition, which will take place on Wednesday, Maimon looks ahead. Her next plan does not include dancing shoes, but rather rest and catching up with her family. Immediately after the finale, she plans to fly with her children and husband for a two-week vacation in Thailand.
