A Polish Discus Thrower Auctioned Off His Silver Medal to Pay for a Boy’s Cancer Treatment

Two billionaires bought Piotr Malachowski’s silver medal in order to help Olek.

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Polish discus thrower Piotr Malachowski claimed the silver medal at the Rio Olympic Games, and he promptly listed it for sale on eBay. Malachowski wasn't trying to capitalize on the opportunity to make some cash, though. He actually sold the medal to raise money for a three-year-old boy with a rare form of eye cancer, according to the Washington Post.

The boy desperately needed money to receive treatment. Malachowski explained his decision on Facebook (click Translate at the bottom of the post to see his words in English).

Or read it in full here:

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The boy’s mother wrote to Malachowski and asked for his help. The boy, Olek, suffers from retinoblastoma, an eye cancer that commonly targets children. Malachowski said in his post that the entirety of money raised from the auction would go to Olek.

Malachowski said the only hope for Olek was to get him to New York, the only place where treatment for his disease is possible.

Olek needed $126,000 for his treatment, according to ESPN. The highest bid in Malachowski's auction as of Tuesday was $19,000, but that's when two Polish billionaire siblings, Dominika and Sebastian Kulczyk, stepped in, according to The Post.

Malachowski posted an update to Facebook and, while he did not disclose how much they paid for the medal, he said the siblings offered an amount “which enables us to meet the goal set.”

“We were able to show that together we can make miracles,” Malachowski wrote. “My Silver Medal today is worth much more than a week ago.”

This is an incredible way for an athlete to use his platform and gifts. Major credit to Malachowski for his selflessness. We’re all pulling for Olek.

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