Podpořili jste Ondrův nový závod

Ondřej má šanci na zlepšení. Ale každé zpoždění terapie zmenšuje naději. Finanční prostředky budou využity na intenzivní a dlouhodobou rehabilitaci, která zahrnuje:

• neurologickou fyzioterapii a logopedii,

• kompenzační pomůcky

• speciální rehabilitační pomůcky,

• odbornou domácí i ambulantní péči,

• zajištění přepravy a asistence,

• pečovatelskou péči o Ondru 24/7, 

• vybudování zázemí vhodného pro následnou péči. 

Ani teď se Ondra nevzdává!

I přes těžké dětství s významným zrakovým handicapem, ztrátu zraku ve dvaceti i současné komplikace s řečí a sluchem, Ondra nepřestává bojovat. Jeho typický humor a silná vůle zůstávají.

Cesta bude dlouhá. Každý den bez terapie je promarněnou šancí. Prosíme vás o pomoc – jakoukoliv.

➡️ Přispějte.

➡️ Sdílejte tuto sbírku.

➡️ Dejte Ondrovi druhou šanci.

Děkujeme. 

❤️

*ENGLISH VERSION*

Introduction to the Collection

Ondřej Zmeškal is a man who never gave up. Even after losing his sight, he kept going—literally. And what’s more, he helped others. He inspired. He motivated.
Then came the collapse. Silence. Darkness. Paralysis. Not just blindness, but also the inability to speak, to eat, to walk, to smile. To live.

But Ondra is not giving up—he’s fighting! Fighting to come back—to life. He’s fighting for everything we so often take for granted.

Who are we helping?

A blind athlete who has dedicated himself to helping others. How?

• He ran across the entire Czech Republic in just 10 days, raising 280,000 CZK to support sports for children with visual impairments.

• He auctioned his marathon medal from the Great Wall of China and donated the proceeds to help a boy with muscular dystrophy.

• While cycling the Tour de France route, he raised funds to support blind children and provide assistive tools for the visually impaired.

Learn more at www.ondrejzmeskal.cz

Ondra Zmeškal – a three-time world triathlon champion and Czech national athlete – has selflessly helped others many times before.
Now, fate is asking if we will do the same for him—because he needs us.

After collapsing, he is learning to walk, speak, and eat all over again. He is fighting for everything we take for granted.
He is at the beginning of the greatest personal challenge of his life. Let’s help him on his road to recovery.

Collapse and the Fight for Every Movement

This spring, Ondřej Zmeškal stood at the starting line of the legendary Cape Epic race in South Africa—as the first blind participant in its history.
But during the third stage, his body could no longer withstand the extreme heat, exhaustion, and dehydration. He collapsed.
He was airlifted to the hospital, and his life hung in the balance.

When he returned to the Czech Republic, he was a lifeless body wracked with fever—unable to speak, move, or communicate.
His partner, Petra, described those first moments after his return as the worst of her life.
His only response? A shrug and a slight turn of the head.

Imagine waking up… but your eyes won’t open.
The body that once ran hundreds of kilometers, pedaled through the Tour de France, and breathed the freedom of sport—now feels heavy as stone.
You lie still. Silence. Darkness. Your body is your prison.

A clear mind, trapped within its own flesh.
Everything that once defined Ondra’s identity—movement, laughter, strength, human connection—was gone.
After the collapse, he was left not only in complete darkness. Ondra is blind.
And his body? It no longer responded. His arms and legs felt foreign, useless—disconnected from his will.

In those nameless days, without color or sound, he had only one proof he wasn’t alone. A breeze.
A warm, almost imperceptible current of air brushing against his face. The breath of another human being.
The only sensation he could still perceive. And in that moment, it wasn’t just breath—it was proof that life was nearby.
Someone was caring for him. Someone hadn’t left.

Everyone who leaned over him left behind a subtle imprint—the natural scent of their skin.
In the silence and darkness, Ondra recognized the presence of others by their scent.
To him, it wasn’t a detail—it was identity.
It was a map of the world, now reduced to traces left by other beings.

A stranger’s breath—and their scent—something so ordinary most of us never notice,
became his lighthouse in the fog of absolute isolation.

From Hospital to the Kladruby Rehabilitation Institute: The Start of a New Journey

Ondra spent the first week in cardiology. He was then transferred to the department of intensive neurorehabilitation.
It was there that he slowly began to move his fingers, learn to sit, stand, and speak his first words again.

Today, he is at the rehabilitation institute in Kladruby, where he trains for 4–6 hours a day.
He is progressing through developmental stages like a young child—relearning basic skills such as dressing, brushing his teeth, and fine motor control.

Ondřej loves life, sport, and people. And even though he finds himself back at the starting line, he is determined to fight.
Now, we have the chance to give him what he has given to so many others—hope, support, and a second chance.

What exactly will the money from this fundraiser be used for?

Ondřej has a chance to recover — but every delay in therapy reduces that chance.
The funds from this fundraiser will be used for intensive, long-term rehabilitation, including:

• Neurological physiotherapy and speech therapy

• Assistive and compensatory devices

• Specialized rehabilitation equipment

• Professional in-home and outpatient care

• Transportation and personal assistance

• 24/7 caregiving support for Ondřej

• Creating a home environment suitable for continued care

Even now, Ondřej is not giving up.
Despite a difficult childhood with significant visual impairment, the complete loss of sight at age twenty, and his current struggles with speech and hearing, Ondřej continues to fight.
His trademark humor and strong will remain.

The road ahead will be long. Every day without therapy is a lost opportunity.
We’re asking for your help—any help you can give:

➡️ Contribute
➡️ Share this fundraiser
➡️ Give Ondřej a second chance

Thank you.
❤️