Adam Berdichevsky

Early life Berdichevsky was born in, grew up in, and has raised his family in kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in the Gaza envelope. He later studied mechanical engineering at Ben Gurion University and Ariel University, where he earned a bachelor's degree, After visiting Australia and New Zealand, in September 2007 they stopped in Thailand. When the ferry began to capsize, sink, and overturn, the two jumped into the water.

2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel

Berdichevsky, his wife Hila, and their three young children were living in the kibbutz of Nir Yitzhak, two miles from Gaza, when it was attacked by Hamas forces on 7 October 2023. They hid in a safe room in their home. The family heard heavy Kalashnikov rifle fire and the sounds of militants attacking and killing their neighbors. Four of the family's close friends were killed before the Israel Defense Forces arrived.

Ten months later Berdichevsky said, of 7 October: "Of course, all the time it runs through my head. You can't stop thinking about it."

At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, he competed in the men's singles competition, and came in 14th. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Berdichevsky competed in both men's singles (coming in 10th) and men's doubles (losing in the round prior to the quarterfinals).

Berdichevsky competed in his first singles match at the Paris Paralympics on 30 August 2024. A group of 30 survivors from his kibbutz, including twins whose father was still a hostage in Gaza, were there to cheer him on, holding up Israeli flags and messages in Hebrew, along with his wife and their children ages 6, 9, and 10. He was defeated by Chilean Alexander Cataldo in the second round.