User:The contentor/זיו שילון



Ziv Shilon (born May 10, 1988) is an entrepreneur, international lecturer and social activist. He served as an officer in the Givati ​​Brigade and was severely wounded on the Gaza Strip in 2012 where he lost his left hand in battle.

Biography
Ziv Shilon was born in ziv shi to his mother, Margalit, a kindergarten teacher and educator, and his father, Zvi, a freelance worker in the textile industry. Shilon is the youngest of his two brothers and sister. He finished high school at "Mekif Gimel" in Be'er Sheva and played basketball for the Hapoel Be’er Sheva youth group. In 2006, Shilon joined the Givati Brigade, a combat unit in the Israeli Defense Force. In his final position, he served as a company commander of a combat unit in the Israeli Defense Forces.

On October 23 2012 Ziv Shilon was critically injured during a military operation in which a massive combustion from a hidden explosive severed his left hand and severely damaged his right hand. Subsequently, he underwent 17 surgical operations and 11 months of intensive rehabilitation. After his release from the hospital, he began studying law at the IDC Herzliya in 2017 and completed his degree.

Shilon's military service began in 2006 when he enlisted in the Givati ​​Brigade. During his service, he embarked on a radar and infantry officer course at the IDF Officers School, held a variety of positions and participated in numerous operations and activities including Operational Cast Lead. During his service, he received several honors and praise for his performance.

In his last position, he was a commander of a company (in the rank of captain), in the Givati brigade, within the Zabar battalion during an operational employment in the southern Gaza Strip. On October 23, 2012, his last day in office, the battalion's forces set off to purge the border from explosives and tunnels. In the final moments of completing the operation, Shilon approached the Gaza gate to open it and allow his combat engineering and armor forces and the Givati Brigade to safely return to Israeli territory.

Upon opening the gate, a landmine detonated and exploded directly on Shilon's body while his soldiers remained 250 meters behind him within a protected area as he instructed. Shilon regained his consciousness after the blow, near the perimeter fence, with both of his hands destroyed and his entire body burnt and bleeding. After a few minutes on the ground, he managed to recuperate and succeeded to clear himself back to his team, carrying the remains of his right hand. After devoted care and treatment by a paramedic and doctor, a helicopter transported Shilon to Soroka Hospital, where he presented with a life-threatening condition.

Shilon underwent surgery to restore his right hand. From then on, he experienced an intensive 11 months of hospitalization and rehabilitation. In December 2016, Shilon was released from active duty in the IDF after 11 years of service.

In 2014, Shilon proposed to his wife during a speech held in Florida on behalf of the friends of the IDF (FIDF), and a few months later, they got married. Currently, Ziv and his wife live in Herzliya with their eldest daughter, Shira, and their son, Jonathan.

Shilon was regularly engaged in social activities and has initiated and established numerous social projects. In 2015, he was chosen “Man of the Year” by the readers of Yedioth Ahronoth. In 2018, he was awarded the "Rehabilitation Masterpiece" by the Ministry of Defense. Zivfasas.png, Gadi Eisenkott, in the presence of all the senior commanders.

Social and Business Activity
Ziv Shilon has a Bachlor of Laws diploma from IDC Herzliya's Law School, And arranged serval social activities. In 2014, Shilon took part of the planning team for a national day of recognition for IDF casualties along with activists from Bnei Akiva and Deputy Speaker of the Knesset,Yoni Chetboun. In January 2015, Shilon constructed a project called "Someone to Run With" in which injured fighters participated along with boys who were defined as "at-risk youth" in physical activities and extreme sports. As part of the project, youth from all over the country joined and participated in personal development competitions and workshops with IDF casualties who guided the youth members until they were recruited to the IDF. In March 2016, along with his fellow classmates and several senior staff members at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Shilon founded the Roots program to help injured soldiers after rehabilitation in choosing their career paths, receiving admission to universities and succeeding in emplyoment possibilietes. In April 2016, he launched the "Combat Fitness" project in the only juvenile detention facility in Israel, "Ofek Prison" .It was created in collaboration with the IDF Association and the prison administration. The goal of “Combat Fitness” was to facilitate the rehabilitation of adolescent boys through empowerment and genuine connection with the IDF soldiers. They would then be provided with pre-military preparations and become integral members of the IDF after their release.

Political Activity
In January 2017, following a Facebook post by Shilon illuminating the country’s divide and polarization in Israeli society on disagreements regarding the Elor Azaria affair, thousands of civilians congregated at Rabin Square as a symbol of their allegiance to national unity. Shilon called for citizens to place their political views aside and instead demonstrate the unity of Israel. In March 2017, Shilon joined the "Inma" movement whose vision is to create a shared identity and advocate for solidarity in Israeli society. Among its founders are Rabbi Shay Piron and the formers IDF Chiefs of Staff, Benny Gantz and Gabi Ashkenazi.

Business Activity
In February 2017, Shilon, along with his trusted partners, established “OurGoods,” a platform that connects manufacturers of diverse and unique goods to consumers. In February 2018, Shilon was selected to be one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. During the years 2018-2020, his contribution to the unique development of Microsoft, XBOX, was published. A gaming remote for players with disabilities was launched for the first time in history, allowing greater accessibility to a new world of content, which was an obscure concept at the time. The specialized gaming remote was presented on the “Most Respected List,” within the “Ten Most Important Developments in the Last Decade” by the Time Magazine. Shilon joined as a consultant and shareholder in another company targeting the operations of disabilities control, 6Degrees, in which an Israeli team develops particular algorithms that enable the control and navigation of smart devices without the use of touch, benefitting those affected with limited motor strength and function. The company has won international competitions and collaborates with rehabilitation hospitals in the development of solutions in the field. Shilon serves as a consultant and shareholder in a number of high-tech companies and as a partner in various social ventures and organizations that promote Israel globally.

In the Field of Sports
In 2015, only 3 years after his injury, Shilon prevailed the 42.2 km Berlin Marathon. Since then, he has completed dozens of competitions in addition to five marathons. In November 2018, after two years of training, Shilon became one of the few athletes to successfully complete the Iron Man competition, despite the physical disability of both his hands. The competition was held in Arizona, USA, where Shilon competed unrestrictedly alongside able-bodied athletes and successfully crossed the finish line after 13 hours.



Lectures
In the first few months after his injury, Shilon began talking to teenagers and students about his story. Over his many years of extraordinary experiences and achievements. In his lectures, Shilon emphasizes personal empowerment, coping in extreme situations, tools for dealing with life-altering challenges, the ability to use personal challenges in the development of solutions and more. Shilon has lectured to a variety of audiences, as he has delivered his message at events throughout Israel and othe countries.

Majority of his speeches throughout the US and Europe were dedicated to fundraising for the benefit and well-being of the IDF soldiers, areas related to the medical field, such as Magen David Adom, rehabilitation centers, blood collection centers and more.

Communication and Writing Activities

Shilon’s rehabilitation process was accompanied by journalists and broadcasted on Channel 10. He was interviewed on various media outlets about a number of economic, social and personal issues, such as the importance of public support for IDF soldiers and IDF commanders, cooperative economics, social norms and raising awareness of albinism as a result of the same disability that his eldest child had acquired. Additionally, Shilon commonly publishes content in collaboration with the newspaper, Yedioth Achronoth. He also creates personal content such as written columns and video articles in multiple social media platforms. In 2015, he was named Man of the Year. In 2017, he wrote a poem in memory of his friend Major Yochai Kalangala who was killed in the confrontation against Hezbollah during operational activities at Mount Dov. along with the singer and author, Yair Levy, who composed the song, “Get Kadima,” after the dissemination gained a large number of responses.