A Polish Olympian Auctioned Off Her Medal
Athletes train from early youth into adulthood for an opportunity to compete at the Olympics. For many of these athletes, winning an Olympic medal is a surefire way to bring honor to their country, along with national and international attention they would otherwise never receive. An Olympic medal is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement for most and a prize to be treasured for the rest of their lives. However, one Polish Olympian decided she could do more with her medal than simply display it. Maria Andrejczyk represented Poland as a javelin thrower during the Tokyo Olympics, where she took home the silver medal. Andrejczyk decided to auction off her medal after returning home to Poland. She said, “This silver can save lives instead of collecting dust in a closet.” She wanted to raise money to help give an 8-month-old boy with a dire heart defect a better chance at survival. She announced on her Facebook page that a Polish convenience store had won the medal with a bid of $125,000. Andrejczyk stated that she felt incredible happiness over winning the medal and wanted to share that feeling with a young child.
Andrejczyk previously competed in the Rio Olympics but narrowly missed winning a medal
there. Two years later, she was diagnosed with bone cancer. She fought through the pain and earned her spot to compete again in Tokyo. At only 25 years old, Andrejczyk could potentially compete once again during the next summer Olympic games in Paris.
FOR A GOOD CAUSE
After learning of the cause that Maria was fighting for, the Polish convenience store decided to return the medal back to her. They proceeded to donate the dollar amount they had bid directly to the 8-month-old’s cause. Their
donation combined with previous donations may save the boy’s life. There is now enough money for him to have a potentially life-saving surgery at Stanford University Medical Center, all thanks to Andrejczyk.
Solution on Pg. 4 Have a Laugh!
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