MELBOURNE, FL, UNITED STATES, May 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — After two births, a battle with postpartum depression, & a triumphant return to the saddle, Israeli dressage star Micah Deligdish has secured her place at the FEI World Dressage Championships in Aachen, with Los Angeles 2028 in her sights.
Soon after the birth of her second child, American-born Israeli rider Micah Deligdish qualified for the FEI World Dressage Championships in Aachen, Germany. Competing aboard her horse Carpe Diem, the 35-year-old Florida-raised athlete returned to elite sport after recovery from two cesarean sections, postpartum depression, & anxiety following the birth of her first child in 2020.
“I kept reminding myself that the first goal was simply to ride the way we know how to ride at home: calm, precise, & in harmony,” she said. “When I realized we had achieved the criterion, I felt that all the hours, all the pain, all the doubts, everything came together in one very special moment.”
Deligdish’s journey to competing under the Israeli flag is rooted in deep personal history. Her grandparents on both sides were Holocaust survivors from Poland and Austria, and her great-uncle helped rescue hundreds of Jewish children and bring them to Palestine during the war. Growing up in a Zionist household, she spent summers with the Young Judaea movement and visited Israel throughout her childhood.
“For me, it was never just about choosing a flag,” she said. “Even as a child growing up in the US, Israel was always present in our home. I felt like it was just as much a part of me as the place where I was born.”
Her mission extends beyond personal achievement. “I wanted to help build something bigger than a personal career. When I started, there was almost no Israeli tradition in dressage at this level. My dream has always been to help build a strong team with depth, continuity, & a future.”
The road back was especially complicated. The delivery came shortly after a narrowly missed Olympic qualification, while the world was entering the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. “There were days when I didn’t know how I was going to get back to being who I was, not only as a rider, but also as a woman.”
Her comeback ahead of the 2026 season has been different. She worked with physiotherapists, a trainer, and mental performance specialists. “The really big change was mental. I am much stronger today, much better able to set boundaries, understand what is really important, and not waste energy on things that do not advance me.”
Her children have become part of the competition landscape. Her son has travelled the world for competitions and training camps, while her infant daughter slept in a crib in the stable equipment room during Deligdish’s most recent international start. “Instead of separating the worlds, we learned to combine them. And that made everything much more beautiful.”
Micah’s father, Dr. Craig Deligdish, a Florida physician & CEO of Omni Healthcare, has become a central figure in supporting Israeli equestrian sport as Chairman of the Friends of the Israeli Dressage Federation, a nonprofit dedicated to funding Israeli athletes in the discipline.
“I think the development has been amazing,” she said. “There is greater awareness, professionalism, & belief that it is possible to compete on the international stage. If my success can help even one more boy or girl in Israel understand that it’s possible to go far in this sport, then I’ve already done something important.”
Dr. Craig Deligdish said: “Watching Micah pursue excellence with such perseverance has been deeply inspiring as both a father and someone committed to advancing Israeli dressage. She has shown that world-class athletic achievement and motherhood are not mutually exclusive. Her dedication reflects the spirit of the Israeli athletes we are proud to support: resilient, visionary and determined to break new ground.”
The 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, a city where she has family, represents a goal she refuses to treat as fantasy. “The Olympics being in Los Angeles gives me a lot of motivation. My partnership with Carpe Diem is still relatively new, and we continue to learn from each other every day. If we continue to progress, I truly believe the Olympic dream is within reach”
Jaden Cole
World PR
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