Maria Andrejczyk was inspired to help Miloszek Malysa, who was born with a serious heart defect, after recovering from bone cancer herself before the Tokyo Olympic Games Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Judy Murray has offered heartfelt praise to Polish Olympian Maria Andrejczyk for her selfless act of auctioning off her Tokyo 2020 silver medal to fund life-saving surgery for an ailing child.
The javelin thrower became an embodiment of the Olympic spirit in 2021 when she parted with her hard-earned medal to support eight-month-old Mioszek Malysa's heart surgery. The infant's plight came to light after his parents earnestly sought financial assistance with Mioszek needing to travel from Poland to California for the surgery. Despite the collective fundraising efforts and the proceeds from Andrejczyk's medal, tragically Miloszek succumbed to his heart condition in March 2022, at only three years old.
Murray stumbled upon this remarkable story this week on X, previously known as Twitter , saying: "How good is this?" accompanied by a heart emoji. Andrejczyk, motivated by her triumph in Japan, discovered Mioszek through a Facebook post and decided to lend a hand to a family facing despair. The auction concluded with Zabka, a well-known Polish shop chain, winning her silver token - yet in a twist reflecting the profound act of kindness, they returned the medal to Andrejczyk, extolling her "beautiful and extremely noble gesture".
Andrejczyk, who herself battled and overcame bone cancer after a diagnosis in 2018, may have been moved to assist Miloszek and his family. The 28-year-old javelin star was dealt the crushing blow when a sinus X-ray revealed she had osteosarcoma, a type of cancer that originates in the cells that form bones, reports the Express . Despite needing surgery, she didn't require chemotherapy and managed to resume training for the Tokyo Games in 2019, where she courageously secured the silver medal she later auctioned off.
Andrejczyk, who finished fourth at the Rio Games in 2016 and was crowned the 2015 European Junior Champion, also holds the Polish record with her personal best of 71.40 m - a feat she achieved in 2021. This impressive throw is also the third-best result in the history of women's javelin competition.
Andrejczyk is gearing up for her third Olympic Games this week as she prepares to compete in Paris. Judy Murray will also be attending the games alongside her son Andy, who has declared his intention to retire from tennis following the Olympics..
