Born in Ukraine in 1929, 96-year-old Alice Muller has seen many changes over the years – and made some of her own. As a young woman during World War II, she fled her home country and joined Zionist Youth movements in Palestine. After the war, Alice stayed in the newly formed state of Israel and served in the military, but she was a different sort of soldier. Alice has lived a life dedicated to social justice and for her, that meant speaking out against the oppressive policies of the Israeli Army. In 1950, Alice made the difficult decision to desert the Army in protest of their unjust treatment of Palestinian citizens and moved to Canada.
Alice has always been an activist and environmentalists and 57 years later, in 2007, she was running again – but this time it was in the International Freedom Runners Marathon in Israel. The run was organized by Breaking the Silence, a non-profit organization founded by Israeli combat veterans to raise public awareness of the human cost of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Alice was the only runner in her age group and despite her advanced age, she was determined to finish the race. She competed against a young soldier who had completed a grueling training program and even with her slower pace, Alice was able to finish the race before him.
Alice’s inspiring story of courage and resilience shows that age is no impediment to making a difference. Even in her 90s, Alice still puts her beliefs into action and shows that it’s never too late to stand up for what you believe in. Her commitment to justice and activism is an inspiration to others of any age and proves that age is no barrier when it comes to making a difference in the world.
