WALCZYKIEWICZ Marta

General
EVENT REMOVED FROM OLYMPIC PROGRAMME
She expressed her disappointment after it was announced that the K1 200m will not be part of the Olympic programme at the 2024 Games in Paris. She said the removal of the event may influence whether she continues competing until the 2024 Games. "I knew that an event would have to be sacrificed, but I never thought that it would be the K1 200m. It's a pity that they didn't give us a chance for further development. What will happen next, in the coming years? I am aware that at some point I have to end my career, but it doesn't have to be right after Tokyo [the 2020 Olympic Games]. But now I know that if I want to compete at the next Olympic Games I will need to change speciality." (polsatsport.pl, 02 Jan 2021)

KAYAK
In 2013 she began competing in a pink kayak featuring black stars, and won a silver medal in the kayak at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. "It has a weird and complicated history. The kayak was prepared for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Work on it took a very long time, more than a year. However, when it arrived in Poland, it turned out that something was not taken care of during the drying phase of the varnish. The canoe was matted. My dad, who is a specialist in such things, said that everything should be matched precisely. We made a decision that I would go on a different kayak in London, it was black with purple stars I think. Black did not work well, and at the [2012] Olympics I came fifth. I gave the kayak two more chances at World Cup events, but did not do well, so decided to sort out my pink kayak. That was 2013 and I've been using it ever since." She has replicas of the kayak, and saves the original for important competitions. "I am like an old person who doesn't like to change things that work well." (rp.pl, 06 Sep 2019; sport.pl, 09 Jul 2020)

EQUESTRIAN PASSION
She has a passion for horse riding that she formed after the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where she was disappointed with her performance. "I cried maybe for a month, I don't know what hurt more then, the lack of a medal or the fact that I let down everyone around me. I don't mean family, but the whole country, as all of Poland expected a medal. I felt alone. Then I found a new passion - horse riding. I started jump training, but then decided to return to canoeing. My dad was worried that I was going to permanently switch sports." She says she would like to compete at low-level equestrian events. "It's my hidden dream to take part in equestrian competition. Not any big event, some small local event would be enough, because my level is pretty low. It's my passion, my escape from daily routine. Once I have free time I go to the stable to ride my horse." (rp.pl, 06 Sep 2019; sport.pl, 09 Jul 2020)