Poland’s Klaudia Zwolinska has pledged her Paris 2024 Olympic medal for auction to help raise money for the Polish Society Against Cystic Fibrosis (PTWM).
Zwolinska won silver in the women’s kayak final in France - Poland’s first Olympic Canoe Slalom medal in 24 years.
It was also her first podium finish at the Games, but the 25-year-old has decided to donate the proceeds from the auction to help in the fight against cystic fibrosis.
“The Olympic medal is an important symbol of my hard work and it is special for me,” Zwolinska said.
“When I received it, I knew I could do something special with this medal - that I can help someone with it. So I decided to give this to the foundation that helps fight against cystic fibrosis in Poland.
View this post on Instagram
“The medicines for this disease are super expensive. This is a huge problem and I want to support it. Even if I sell this medal, it will not be enough to help everyone. But I want to bring awareness about it.”
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects your lungs, pancreas, and other organs, causing severe, long-term damage to the lungs, leading to respiratory failure and death.
The auction has started and will end on September 16, having already raised PLN 50,000 (€11,693/CHF10,958).
Zwolinska has seen the horrors of cystic fibrosis up close, with her fiance Grzegorz Hedwig, also an Olympian and slalom canoeist, losing his older sister, Iga, to the disease at age 22 and his younger sister also suffering from it.
By auctioning her medal, Zwolinska joins other prominent Polish athletes who have supported the cause like cross-country skier and Olympic champion Justyna Kowalczyk-Tekieli and swimmer and Athens 2004 200m butterfly gold medallist Otylia Jedrzejczak.
View this post on Instagram
“I am a bit sad because this medal was my dream. But in the future, when I look at this medal, I don’t want to feel regret that I did not do something with it,” Zwolinska said.
“I am proud that this will make a difference.
“The funny thing is, my dad loves these symbols and medals related to my sport.
“From my first ever paddle, he keeps everything. But when he heard about the stories of the people who have this disease, he said it was a great decision. He was proud of it.
Please click here to place a bid.
Related links
