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PIEKARSKA-TWARDOCHEL Magdalena
NOC Poland   
GenderWomen
Born 28 Nov 1986 in Warsaw, POL
Height1.92 m
Human Interest
Sport Specific Information
Club / Team AZS AWF Warszawa: Poland
Why this sport? One of her teachers told her mother that Magdalena's physique, as well as the fact that she was left-handed, meant she was perfect for fencing.
Name of coach Bartlomiej Jezyk [national], POL
Handedness Left
When and where did you begin this sport? She began fencing at school at age 12.
Further Personal Information
Occupation Athlete
General Interest
Sporting philosophy / motto "Nothing is impossible, there are only things that require a little effort." (polskieradio.pl, 31 Jul 2017)
Most influential person in career Her parents. (sukcespisanyszminka.pl, 23 Oct 2015)
Further Personal Information
Higher education Law - Lazarski University: Warsaw, POL
Languages English, Polish
General Interest
Nicknames Magda, Pieksa (Facebook page, 09 Jul 2018)
Awards and honours In 2011 she was presented with the Gold Cross of Merit in Poland. (Facebook page, 14 Mar 2016)
Memorable sporting achievement Winning gold in team epee at the 2019 European Championships in Dusseldorf, Germany. (kierunektokio.pl, 31 Jan 2020)
Ambitions To win gold in team epee at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (sport.pl, 11 Apr 2021)
Other information CANCER SURVIVOR
In January 2018 she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. In August 2018 she was declared cancer-free, and resumed training two weeks after her final chemotherapy cycle. "It brought me and my husband closer together and taught us to appreciate the little things even more, and at the same time not to worry about every little thing. And finally, it reminded us that health is most important and everything else can be bought or borrowed. Paradoxically, the illness gave me more than it took, and every day I appreciate that I am alive and get to do what I love." (chloniak.org, 01 Sep 2018)

COVID-19 IMPACT
While she trained at home during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, her husband Pawel acted as an opponent. "I would dress my husband in my fencing gear and would use him as a live target. He did not allow me to do this too often, because the outfit was too tight for him and he could hardly breathe. I also hung a mask or a tennis ball in various places and hit it. Or I would just do footwork training. In addition to fencing, I used the lockdown mainly for cardio and mental training and for improving my balance." (sport.pl, 11 Apr 2021)
Further Personal Information
Family Husband Pawel

Major Results
Year Rank Event Venue
Olympic Games
2020 6 Team Epee Tokyo, Japan
World Championships
2019 8 Team Epee Budapest, Hungary
2017 3 Team Epee Leipzig, Germany
2011 5 Individual Epee Catania, Italy
2011 6 Team Epee Catania, Italy
2010 5 Individual Epee Paris, France
2010 7 Team Epee Paris, France
2009 2 Team Epee Antalya, Turkey
European Championships
2019 1 Team Epee Düsseldorf, Germany
2017 Final 5-6 Team Epee Tbilisi, Georgia
2010 1 Team Epee Leipzig, Germany
2010 2 Individual Epee Leipzig, Germany
2009 2 Team Epee Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2008 5 Team Epee Kiev, Ukraine
2006 7 Team Epee Izmir, Turkey