Imagine waking up every day and wondering if a bomb went off a few blocks from your house. Better yet, imagine waiting anxiously for a telephone call each day from your parents to make sure that they are safe or even alive.

UW junior Yael Peled, a long and triple jumper for the UW track team, experiences these thoughts on a daily basis. While she tries to carry on a normal life as a student athlete, Peled can’t forget the turmoil near her home.

Her roots grow deeper than Wisconsin or Minnesota — or any other U.S. territory, for that matter. Peled was born and raised in Hertzlia, Israel, a small town just outside of Tel Aviv.

While in Israel, Peled excelled in team handball, competing in the world championships where she represented her native country. It wasn’t until she was 17 that she began to compete in long and triple jump events.

Given that Israeli high schools don’t have sports teams, Peled never actually had any high school track experience. “We didn’t have any teams at my schools. I could only compete once a year at the Junior Olympics for Israel,” Peled said.

Therefore, she was limited to just one meet each year to showcase her abilities. She wasted no time, however, and became a two-time Israeli Youth Olympic champion in both the long jump and 4 x 100 meter relay. In addition, she holds the Israeli Youth record in the long jump.

Prior to her athletic accomplishments, Peled faced several life-threatening situations. Peled recalled the Gulf War in the early ’90s and what life was like for her family. “I remember the bombs and running to shelters with chemical masks on. Things were different there at that time than in [America].”

A few years later, at age 16, Peled’s close friend was killed in a suicide bombing by Palestinians. The violence has truly penetrated her life. “I know people who have died in the Gulf War, the West Bank and from suicide bombs.”

Throughout all of the violence that Peled endured in her childhood, she has remained faithful to Israel. “I love my country,” said Peled.

Peled even enlisted in the Israeli Army after two years of high school and has also undergone some air-force training. While in the army, Peled was granted permission to train in the long and triple jumps because she was a member of the Israeli Youth Olympic team. American colleges and universities began to recruit Peled, and she was offered several athletic scholarships.

Peled ultimately decided to accept UW’s offer because of its high academic standards and the supportive nature of the women’s track coaching staff.

She completed her duties as an Israeli soldier; she credits this experience as a significant reason for her success in sports and academics.

“I learned about myself, about hard work and self-discipline. I also learned how to get through difficult missions. It definitely helped me prepare for college.”

Since arriving in Madison two-and-a-half years ago, Peled has enjoyed living in what she calls a different culture from the one she grew up in. “I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been here. I think I’ve taken a lot from the different culture here, and that is good.”

Even a leisure activity such as going to the mall without worrying for one’s safety presents a new situation for Peled. “When you go to the mall in Israel, they check your bags. Here, no one cares. It’s great.”

Peled is a product of her own culture but continues to grow from her new experiences. She talks to her mother and thinks of her homeland every day. “I check the news three or four times a day, just to make sure everything is OK,” Peled said.

And waking up every day at 6 a.m. to study and practice isn’t something that bothers Peled either. “I love to jump. I love it because I am competing against myself, and that pushes me to go further.”

Peled plans to graduate from UW in May 2004 with a major in computer science with an emphasis in mathematics. She has expressed interest in attending graduate school in the United States. Ultimately, Peled will return to Israel and pursue a career in computer programming.

But wherever the journey of life takes Peled, she will always remember where she came from.