Itai Chammah

Itai Chammah was born in 1985 in Yavne

Chammah was born in Yavne on 11 November 1985. His parents came from South America and met in Israel.

He began swimming at age 6 at Hapoel Park Mayim Yavne, then trained with Maccabi Weisgal Rehovot. At 18 he joined the gifted athletes boarding program at the Wingate Institute. He later swam for Ohio State University on a full scholarship and earned a degree in business administration there.

His main event was the 200 meter backstroke. He reached the semifinals at the 2006 European Championships in Budapest and at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, which secured his Olympic place. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics he finished 27th, and he won the event at the 2009 Maccabiah.

After swimming, he studied at the Goodman Acting School in Beer Sheva. In 2016 he won a supporting actor prize at a student theater festival in Minsk for a Hanoch Levin play. He married Hila Shalev on 5 September 2022.