The women’s relay team won the gold medal in the Polish Indoor Deaf Athletics Championships. The athletes broke the world record from 24 years ago and set a new indoor world record for the deaf.
The previous best result – 1:50.26 s – belonged to the Berliner GSV sports club for the deaf (Germany) and was set on March 3, 2001 in Berlin. The relay team consists of three students from the University of Szczecin – Natalia Nowaczyk, Karolina Jędrzejczyk and Martyna Boguszewicz – and Sara Plewczyńska from outside the University of Szczecin. The students met with prof. Waldemar Tarczyński, Rector of the University of Szczecin and dr hab. Katarzyna Kotarska, prof. US, the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs.
“You are the authors of an extraordinary achievement that fills us with pride. We are glad that you are part of the community of the University of Szczecin, where you not only gain knowledge, but also find time for your sports passions. Your successes, achieved at a world-class level, are an inspiration for us and a great showcase of our university,” emphasized prof. Waldemar Tarczyński, Rector of the University of Szczecin during the meeting.
The Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, dr hab. Katarzyna Kotarska, prof. US drew attention to the challenge of combining studies with a sports career: “Your success shows that it is possible to combine two paths – studies and a sports career. This is an admirable example of determination and excellent organization. Our university tries to meet such people’s needs and implements solutions that support the dual path of studies and a sports career.”
Natalia Nowaczyk emphasized that they were not slowing down: “Our next big goal is the Summer Olympics for the Deaf – Deaflympics, which will take place in November 2025. We are already preparing intensively for this competition. Next week we fly to Spain for a training camp”.
Natalia Nowaczyk and Karolina Jędrzejczyk study physical education at the Faculty of Physical Education and Health, while Martyna Boguszewicz studies tourism and recreation at the Faculty of Economics, Finance and Management.
At the Polish Indoor Deaf Athletics Championships 2025. Photo: Polish Deaf Sports Association
The students train under the supervision of Rafał Śliwka at the Korona Szczecin sports club and are members of the National Team for the Deaf. The world record is one of many achievements in their sports careers so far.
