RUDYK Mateusz

General
DIABETIC
He was diagnosed with diabetes at age 12 and the following year doctors informed him that he also had Hashimoto's disease, a condition that affects the thyroid. "It is a terrible feeling when the doctor looks you in the eye and tells you that you need to stop training because you could die. It was difficult to deal with it, and I had to stop training for a few months. But it was a great test of character and perseverance for me. It can be a heavy burden because when others warm up, I have to think about and control the disease. It doesn't help but after so many years of living with the condition, I have learned to live with it. I also saw that being a diabetic, you can both function normally and be a good athlete." (magazynsportowiec.pl, 17 Nov 2017)

NEW TEAM
In 2021 he joined Team Novo Nordisk, which is made up only of athletes that have been diagnosed with diabetes. "Joining Team Novo Nordisk is an important landmark in my career. The team is made up of cyclists with diabetes, like me, who show that nothing can stand in the way of becoming a professional athlete and achieving great sporting results. The Olympic Games is my priority. I want to fight for an Olympic medal and I believe that I will earn one. My goal is to show other diabetics that diabetes is not a limitation or an obstacle in achieving results at an elite level." (tvp.pl, 16 Feb 2021)

He became the first track cyclist representing Poland to win a medal in sprint at the world championships by claiming bronze at the 2019 edition of the tournament in Pruszkow, Poland. (SportsDeskOnline, 27 Apr 2020; magazynsportowiec.pl, 12 Mar 2019)