Six-time Paralympic champion Natalia Partyka is donating her gold medal from this year’s games in Tokyo for auction. The money will go to the Scholarship Fund for young, talented athletes who, for various reasons, have a difficult start to their careers. The fund was established on the initiative of Natalia Partyka and is operated by the “Dobra Sieć” Foundation.
Two days ago, Natalia Partyka won the gold medal in the team competition together with Karolina Pęk. Polish team won the doubles match after the long, five-set battle, in the decisive part defeating Australian team 11:9, and in the singles match with Quian Yang Natalia Partyka defeated her old rival 3:0. After returning to Poland Natalia Partyka announced to the media her decision to donate the gold medal for auction.
“The gold medal gave me a lot of joy, pride and satisfaction. I think my fans, too. I would like this medal to contribute to something good and positive in addition to the many great emotions I had on my way to gold. I am looking for sponsors who would like to support my Scholarship Fund, before I find them, I am putting my medal up for auction. I would like to donate the money from the auction to help in developing the careers of young athletes who will certainly provide us with many wonderful sports emotions,” – Natalia Partyka said
The Fund’s scholarship holders include, among others, Maria Andrejczyk, Tokyo Olympic vice-champion in javelin throw, and Renata Śliwińska, gold medal winner in the shot put at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
“Natalia Partyka Fund is a unique program that supports young, talented athletes facing various difficulties in the development of their careers. The Fund means not only scholarships but also specialist workshops for athletes all over Poland and a portal for young athletes who are ready to become someone prominent – says Malgorzata Stradomska-Kalinka, coordinator of Natalia Partyka’s Fund.
During the four editions of the scholarship program, 43 scholarships of PLN 10,000 each were awarded. This amount provides tangible opportunities for young athletes to grow and support their career development. Natalia Partyka is looking for scholarship fund partners who can fund more scholarships.