Rafał Wilk

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Rafał Wilk Road cycling
Rafał Wilk (2013) in an interview after crossing the finish line at the Cracovia Maraton
Rafał Wilk (2013) in an interview after crossing the finish line
at the Cracovia Maraton
To person
Nickname Rafa
nation PolandPoland Poland
discipline Paracycling (handbike - H3, H4)
Most important successes
Paralympics
2012, 2016 Gold medal-2008PG.svg - time trial
2012 Gold medal-2008PG.svg - road racing
Last updated: December 20, 2018
At the opening ceremony of the 2016 Paralympics, Wilk was the flag bearer of the Polish team
Wilk as a speedway driver

Rafał Wilk (born December 9, 1974 in Łańcut ) is a Polish paracycler and former speedway driver .

Athletic career

In 1991, Rafał Wilk received his license as a speedway driver; In 1994 and 1995 he won the youth team championship of Poland. In 2005 he won the silver medal in the individual race at the open Hungarian championships.

In May 2006, Rafał Wilk had an accident at a speedway race in Krosno ; while he was run over by a 16-year-old clubmate after the fall. He sustained severe spinal cord injuries and has been in a wheelchair ever since . In 2010 he began training in cycling and monoski .

In 2011 Wilk started as a handbiker in the paracycling class H3 at road world championships and finished sixth in the time trial and seventh in road racing. In 2013 he became world champion for the first time, both in road racing and time trial. This title was followed by others in the following years. At the 2012 Paralympics in London , he won two gold medals. In 2016 in Rio de Janeiro , Wilk was the flag bearer of the Polish team at the opening ceremony in the Maracanã and won gold in the time trial and silver in the road race.

family

Rafał Wilk's father, Jan Wilk , was also a popular speedway driver in Poland. He died in a traffic accident in March 2000. Rafał Wilk is married and has three children ( as of 2018 ). His daughters Gabriela and Wiktoria started as gymnasts for Poland.

Honors and reception

In 2005, Rafał Wilk was voted “Sportsman of the Year” by Krosno as a speedway driver. In 2012 he was Poland's “Para-Athlete of the Year”. In 2013 he was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta in the rank of officer, in 2016 with the same order in the rank of knight and in 2017 he was made an honorary citizen of his place of residence in Rzeszów . In 2013 he was also honored with the Zasłużony dla Województwa Podkarpackiego for his services to the Subcarpathian Voivodeship .

In 2014 he was portrayed in the documentary film Rafał Wilk - człowiek ze stali ( Rafał Wilk - Man of Steel ).

engagement

Wilk founded the charity organization There is one sport - Rafal Wilk Foundation to support para-athletes.

successes

2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018

Web links

Commons : Rafał Wilk  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g WILK Rafal. In: paralympic.org. Retrieved December 20, 2018 .
  2. ↑ a b Anna Janik: Rafał Wilk - po dramacie na torze sport przywrócił go do życia. In: nowiny24.pl. December 20, 2018, accessed December 20, 2018 (Polish).
  3. ↑ Odznaczenia za zasługi dla rozwoju sportu osób niepełnosprawnych. February 7, 2013, accessed December 20, 2018 .
  4. ↑ [Kz] Joanna Piróg: Odznaka Zasłużony dla Województwa Podkarpackiego. In: bip.podkarpackie.pl. November 30, 2018, accessed December 20, 2018 (Polish).
personal data
SURNAME Wilk, Rafał
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Polish speedway driver and handbiker
DATE OF BIRTH December 9, 1974
PLACE OF BIRTH Łańcut