Passaic native and mother of five Beatie Deutsch—who recently paid a visit to Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood for an event hosted by Spirit Fit Life—was one of the latest billboard features for Adidas, in its “Impossible Is Nothing” ad campaign. The campaign adds to Deutsch’s impressive climb in the athletic world as a champion marathon and half-marathon runner.
On the billboard, which was erected along Tel Aviv’s Ayalon Highway, Deutsch is portrayed wearing her signature running outfit, complete with a knee-length skirt, three-quarter-length sleeves and a headscarf.
Though Deutsch narrowly missed the opportunity to compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she has defied stereotypes and paved the way for other frum athletes with her continued advocacy. Deutsch made headlines after petitioning the International Olympic Committee to move the women’s marathon from a Saturday to a Sunday, which would have enabled her and any other shomer-Shabbat female runners to compete. In her efforts to persuade the IOC, she pointed out that the Olympics symbolized the universal spirit and athletes coming together under a banner of inclusion—but unfortunately, the IOC was steadfast in its original schedule.
The fight for representation continues for Deutsch. She told The Jewish Link in October that “being religious may not be trending these days, but it’s just another aspect of diversity. Somehow it seems that when it comes to religion, and especially when you’re a Jew, it’s frowned upon and you are told to fit in and not do things differently.”
Championships and Olympic trials aside, Deutsch has found other ways to inspire her community at large. On Instagram, she shares her experiences with the more than 21,000 followers of her @marathonmom account. Complete with professional race photos and photos of her children, she keeps it real in every post—victories, challenges, hopes and dreams.
In a post on June 23, the marathon champ listed several personal goals, sharing with her followers “because every dream is worth having.” She wrote that she’s looking forward to representing Israel in the 2022 World Championships, and is gunning for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Ambitious, right? But that’s not all—Deutsch also shared that she plans to run and win an ultra-marathon, at least 31 miles, and complete an Ironman race, a long-distance triathlon consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a marathon, in that order. As if that were not enough, Deutsch also has dreams of becoming a sports psychologist, publishing a historical novel and a memoir and traveling the world. All while raising her five children.
And Deutsch definitely does not downplay her role as a mother. She shared with The Jewish Link several months ago, “Motherhood is harder than any marathon I’ve ever run… If you are a mother, you run a marathon every day.”
Keep your eye out for more of the inspiring marathon mom in international championships to come—and hopefully, many more ad campaigns. It’s the representation that matters, and Deutsch is doing an excellent job of it.
(JNS contributed to this report.)
By Channa Fischer
