Ask any Olympian what an Olympic medal means to him/her? You will hear only one answer, “It’s the world, it’s everything.” But there have been several Olympians who have given up their ‘world’ for a better cause.
In the Rio Olympics, the Polish discus thrower Piotr Malachowski, who won the silver medal in his event, put his medal up for sale to cover the cost of a boy’s (Olek Szymanski) treatment for eye cancer.
The Quint takes a look at six instances when an athlete sold his or her Olympic medal.
1. Mark Wells
USA’s Mark wells, who was part of the gold medal winning ice hockey team in the 1980 Winter Olympics, sold his medal for $40,000, to fund his multiple back surgeries.
The medal was sold again in 2010 and the buyer in 2002, earned a profit of $2,70,000.
2. Mark Pavelich
Mark Pavelich, who was also part of the 1980 ice hockey team, sold his gold medal at an an auction for $2,62,900 in 2014.
Pavelich said that he sold the medal for the future of his daughter.
I’m doing a lot for my daughter here. I want her to get a step forward in life. That’s probably the biggest reason.Mark Pavelich
3. Wladimir Klitschko
Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine, who won the gold in the super heavyweight division at the Atlanta Games in 1996, sold his medal for $1 million in 2012.
He donated the money to a charity he built for impoverished children in Ukraine.
4. Anthony Ervin
USA’s Anthony Ervin, who won the gold medal in the 50m freestyle event this Olympics, had sold the gold medal that he won in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney in the same event.
The swimmer sold the medal for $17,101 on Ebay, to help the relief efforts during the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia.
5. Otylia Jedrzejczak
Otylia Jedrzejczak of Poland, declared before qualifying for the Athens Games, that if she won a gold medal, she would donate it to a charity that helps kids with leukemia.
When she won the 200m butterfly event, she sold her gold medal for $80,000.
I don’t need the medal to remember. I know I’m the Olympic champion. That’s in my heart.Otylia Jedrzejczak
6. Piotr Malachowski
The Polish discus thrower sold his silver medal so that a boy who is battling eye cancer can get treated in New York.
The athlete got a letter from Olek Szymanski’s mother asking him to help, and the discuss thrower obliged.
My silver medal is worth a lot more than a week ago. It is worth the health of little Olek.Piotr Malachowski