Polish Olympic Champ, Otylia Jedrzejczak, Auctions Off Her Gold Medal to Aid Children with Leukemia -- December 20, 2004

By Phillip Whitten

WARSAW, Poland, December 20. OTYLIA Jedrzejczak, who became Poland's first-ever Olympic gold medalist in swimming when she won the 200 meters butterfly in Athens last August, auctioned her Olympic gold medal for 257,550 zlotys (US$101,500) yesterday, Poland's PAP news agency reported.

The money from the sale will be donated to the Oncology and Infantile Hematology Clinic at the Infantile Clinical Hospital of Wroclaw, Poland, for treating children who are victims of leukemia.

In addition to winning the 200 meter fly, Jedrzejczak also won silver medals in the 100-meter fly and 400-meter freestyle.

The original price for the gold medal was set at 50,000 Euros, or US$66,000. It was bid up over 50 percent during the auction.

It is believed this is the first time an Olympic champion has ever auctioned a gold medal he or she has won to benefit a charity.