By Mimi Plaskow
At just 16 years old, Renna Rubenstein is already a seasoned Maccabi competitor – and a gold medalist – but she is only just getting started. Renna keeps her medal on her bedroom mirror as a daily reminder of what she’s accomplished. Still, for the New York City native, one gold medal is not enough.
“I have played soccer since I was 5 years old,” Renna says. “I initially began track as injury prevention for soccer when I was nine. Since then, track has become my main sport, but I still play soccer at the ECNL (Elite Club National League) level.”
Renna is eyeing the 2026 Maccabiah in Israel – this time with a new focus. After winning gold with Maccabi USA’s U18 Girls’ Soccer team at the 2024 European Maccabi Youth Games in London, she is now shifting her attention to track and field.
Competing in events ranging from the 100m to the 400m hurdles, Renna has found her stride on the track.
“I prefer track mainly because the outcome depends solely on yourself,” she explains. “But there is still a team dynamic at practice and cheering for your teammates.”
Renna’s favorite event, the 200m, offers the perfect balance of speed and endurance.
“It’s a full sprint, but it also has some distance,” she says. “It’s long enough to make you feel a bit tired but short enough that you don’t feel lactic.”
Renna’s trip to the Maccabiah will be shaped by her experience in London. While the victory itself was exciting, it was the atmosphere that has stayed with her.
“I remember at the medal ceremony the U.S. team was happy, but we seemed a lot less excited than the other teams,” Renna recalls. “For some of the Israeli players, it was their last game before serving in the military, so it meant a lot to them. That made it really special.”
That global connection is what is drawing Renna back.
“I enjoyed getting to meet Jews from countries across the world,” she says. “I wanted a chance to do it again, but in Israel over a longer period of time.”
Renna is most looking forward to returning to Israel, having last visited in March 2022 for her Bat Mitzvah. This time, her journey will center on the competition and the experience beyond sport. Alongside competing, she is excited to experience the country again – this time as part of the 2026 Maccabiah, with her brother Ian, who is competing in tennis.
“I have been to Jerusalem one other time, but I am very excited to go back to the Old City,” she says. “It will feel a lot bigger this time because there are more people, and we’ll get to travel across the country.”
Renna also enjoys traveling and exploring new places – something she has continued to do off the track, recently hiking in Ecuador with her family.
But Renna’s journey to the 2026 Maccabiah hasn’t been straightforward. A torn hamstring, first sustained in 2025 and aggravated during rehab, has sidelined her for much of the past year, replacing hours of track training with countless hours of physical therapy.
“I just hope I can compete to my full capacity and do all the events I want without fear of reinjury,” she says.
Even so, Renna’s goals remain ambitious.
“I want to win in one of my events,” she adds. “At this point I don’t know if I’ll have the training to compete at the level I’m capable of, but that was my goal.”
Renna’s track record shows she is more than capable. With personal bests of 11.58 in the 100m, 23.77 in the 200m, and 54.89 in the 400m – along with a Junior Olympic title in the 400m hurdles – Renna brings both speed and resilience to the Maccabi USA delegation.
Beyond competition, the unique environment of The Maccabiah is something Renna values deeply.
“You just understand that you share a connection with everyone around you, even if you’ve never spoken to them,” she says. “The sports part will feel similar, but there are so many social opportunities that make it different.”
Balancing recovery, ambition, and excitement for what lies ahead, Renna is preparing for the 2026 Maccabiah – embracing the next chapter of her journey.
Mimi Plaskow is a final year International Media and Communications Studies student at the University of Nottingham. Connect with her on LinkedIn here.