New Delhi [India], October 1 (ANI): Poland’s Paralympic gold medallist Roza Kozakowska as soon as once more proved that indomitable willpower can defy even the harshest odds, as she battled a extreme medical disaster on the eve of her occasion and went on to clinch gold within the girls’s F32 membership throw on the IndianOil New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships on Tuesday.
Born in Zdunska Wola in 1989, Kozakowska’s life has been a narrative of resilience. She endured chemotherapy as a baby for a genetic blood dysfunction, battled Lyme illness that left her quadriplegic, and survived a troubled childhood, as per a launch from PCI.
From excelling within the lengthy soar on the 2019 World Championships to capturing gold and silver on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, she grew to become one among Poland’s most inspiring athletes.
But her New Delhi gold will maybe be remembered as essentially the most dramatic.
According to Brigadier Bibhu Nayak, Head of Medical Services for the Championships, an SOS name got here at 4 a.m. from the Polish staff’s physician. Kozakowska had collapsed in her room, affected by extreme dehydration, vomiting, and warmth stroke.
‘When our docs reached her, she was in a crucial state, mendacity unconscious, unable to reply,’ Nayak recalled.
She was instantly rushed to Safdarjung Hospital, the place docs administered fluids and antibiotics.
Describing these tense hours, Roza recalled, ‘At 10 within the morning, I used to be nonetheless on a hospital mattress, my power was zero. I assumed the competitors was unattainable.’
But destiny had different plans. By midday, she insisted on being discharged, telling her staff: ‘I got here right here to compete, not simply to be current.’
Defying medical recommendation, she returned to the stadium with the assistance of her nationwide medical staff. Still visibly weak, she stepped into the throwing circle that night. Summoning each ounce of internal energy, Kozakowska launched the membership to 29.30 metres – simply shy of her personal world file, however sufficient to set a brand new championship file and declare gold for Poland.
The Director of Sports Development and Performance of the Paralympic Committee of India, Manish Rana, spoke in regards to the availability of complete medical companies with adequately skilled workers for all attainable medical restoration wants of the athletes.
‘To cater for our weather conditions, we’ve already ready a particular warmth remedy room. And like all massive sports activities occasion, it needs to be able to catering for the medical centre. Catering to all of the eventualities’, stated Rana.
Kozakowska expressed her gratitude to the docs, saying, ‘I owe this medal to the docs of Athlete Medical Centre, particularly Irfan on the JLN Stadium, to my staff, and to the assumption that I mustn’t ever quit.’ (ANI)