This Athlete Put Up His Olympic Silver Medal for Auction to Cover Surgery Costs for an 8-Month-Old Baby He Has Never Met

Maria Andrejczyk from Poland, Silver Medalist in Javelin Throw at Tokyo Olympics
Polish Convenience Store Chain Returns Silver Medal After Winning Auction

▲Maria Andreychik (25)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] A Polish athlete who won a silver medal in the women's javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics put her medal up for auction to support the heart surgery costs of an infant she had never met.

According to CBS on the 18th (local time), Maria Andrejczyk (25), the Polish national javelin thrower, announced on Facebook on the 11th that she had learned about Miwojczek Mawisa, an 8-month-old baby who needed surgery due to a severe heart defect, and said she would sell her silver medal to help him.

The next day, she revealed again on Facebook that "a bidder has been found," and that "the Polish convenience store chain 'Zabka' won the auction for the silver medal." The winning bid was $125,000 (approximately 146 million KRW).

Andrejczyk said, "The true value of the medal is always in the heart," adding, "Saving a life is more valuable than letting the medal gather dust in the closet."

She also said, "I am very happy that Zabka will take the medal," and "The medal, earned through many hardships, represents struggle, faith, and the pursuit of dreams for me, so I hope the medal becomes a symbol of the life we fight for together."

After winning the auction, Zabka stated on Twitter, "We were moved by the beautiful and noble gesture of the Olympic athlete and decided to support fundraising for Mawisa," adding, "We have decided to return the silver medal to its owner."

Mawisa is currently receiving home hospice care, and with the funds raised for surgery, he is scheduled to travel to the United States for treatment.

Andrejczyk, who missed a medal by 2 cm at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, suffered a shoulder injury in 2017 and was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2018, but overcame these difficulties through rehabilitation and won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.