Four-time time trial world champion Tony Martin is auctioning off his only Olympic medal for the victims of the war in Ukraine.
Ideally, the 36-year-old wants to earn 20,000 euros with the silver from the Olympic individual time trial in London 2012. This was reported by "Bild am Sonntag".
"If I can tell my grandchildren that the medal helped them, that's worth much more to me than showing them the original. Nobody will take the memories away from me anyway," said Martin, who ended his cycling career last year. The auction runs until 9 April, the starting bid is 5000 euros.
Martin works as a learning counsellor at a public school in his adopted home of Kreuzlingen, Switzerland. The school has already taken in 43 refugees. "It's the worst time I've ever experienced in my life. I looked to see what the greatest thing I could do to alleviate the suffering a little. That would be worth more than sporting success," said the Cottbus native.
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