Adam Małysz on marriage. Three decades together

Adam Małysz and Izabela have known each other since childhood

For years, Adam Małysz and Izabela have formed one of the most recognisable couples in the world of Polish sport. Their story began back in Wisła, where they lived close to one another and had known each other since their school days. Although they went their separate ways for a while, they met again at a disco – and that was when their relationship began.

Years later, Izabela Małysz recalled that the beginnings of their relationship were very ordinary, but it quickly developed into something serious. She was struck not only by her future husband’s character, but also by his resourcefulness and determination.

We’d known each other since primary school. Adam was a year above me. Besides, we’d been neighbours since we were children. Our family homes were 500 metres apart. Then there was a time when we went to different schools. For a while, we didn’t see each other at all. Our paths had gone their separate ways. Eventually, we met at a disco. And that’s how our relationship began. The magic of the disco worked its charm. A clichéd story, isn’t it? – she confessed in 2020.

A young marriage and early parenthood

The couple got married on 16 June 1997. Adam Małysz was 19 at the time, and Izabela was 18. Due to their different religious backgrounds, they opted for an ecumenical wedding – he is Lutheran, she is Catholic. Shortly afterwards, their daughter Karolina was born.

The couple’s young age and the rapid expansion of their family meant there was no shortage of comments from those around them. Małysz recalled that some people judged their decisions unfairly and suggested that the child had not been planned.

Quite a few people thought it was an accident, and that was a bit painful for us – admitted the “Eagle of the Vistula” on “Dzień Dobry TVN” in 2018.

Years later, however, the former ski jumper emphasised that he had always considered himself a family man and had taken his role as a husband and father seriously from the very beginning.

Some people are ready to become parents early on, others later. I’ve always been a family man. To this day, I’d rather be at home than at banquets h – he said in an interview with “Przegląd Sportowy”.

His sporting career came at a price

Adam Małysz’s successes came at a huge cost to his family life. Training sessions, competitions, training camps and his subsequent work with the Polish Ski Association meant that, for years, he spent more time away from home than in Wisła.

The former ski jumper admitted quite frankly that sport robbed him of part of his everyday life with his daughter. Although he now has a very good relationship with Karolina, his absence was keenly felt during her childhood.

I was hardly ever at home. I have a very good relationship with my daughter today, but when she was a child, she often wouldn’t even recognise me when I came home and would run off to her grandparents or her mum. It was only later that she had to get used to me,” he said.

Izabela also experienced the hardships of life alongside a sportsman. One of the most painful moments for her was the day she was discharged from hospital after the birth of her daughter, when Adam was unable to collect her and the baby.

“I was very upset, but I knew what it meant to marry an athlete. Those were different times,” she said on the programme “Druga strona medalu” on TVN Style.

Izabela Małysz had to deal with rumours

Adam Małysz’s popularity meant that media interest also extended to his family. For years, Izabela Małysz had to deal with comments, speculation and rumours about their relationship. She recalled that having a famous surname didn’t always help, and sometimes even became a source of unpleasant judgements.

There were rumours that I was having an affair with the dean. I’ve heard so much about crises in our marriage. The rumours usually surfaced towards the end of the season, when there was no more to report on sport. “If I’d had as many children as the number of times it was reported that I was pregnant, Adam and I would have quite a brood,” she confessed in *Gazeta Wyborcza*.

Despite this, Izabela has repeatedly emphasised that she does not regret her decision. She assured everyone that she would choose Adam again – not because of his successes, but because of the kind of person he is.

The Małysz family’s “unconventional marriage”

The Małysz couple never pretended that their relationship was free from difficulties. They both spoke of differences in temperament, stubbornness and arguments, but at the same time emphasised that the most important thing was the ability to reconcile and communicate.

Contrary to appearances, we’re both very stubborn. From the outside, it always looked as though Iza was the villain and Adam was the angel, but that’s not entirely true. We’re both very stubborn, and it’s sometimes difficult to reach a compromise,” said Izabela Małysz on *The Other Side of the Coin*.

Adam Małysz himself recently admitted that their relationship doesn’t fit into typical moulds. Over the years, they’ve got used to living a life of travel and separation, though the former sportsman hopes he’ll now be able to spend more time with his wife.

We know perfectly well that we’re an unconventional couple. In fact, I’m away from home more often than I’m at home, but we’ve got used to this way of life. Of course, it would be nice to spend more time together, and I hope that’s exactly what will happen now,” he said in an interview with Polsat Sport.

Adam Małysz and Izabela Małysz: Three decades together despite the difficulties

The story of Adam and Izabela Małysz shows that behind the media image of sporting success lay a daily life full of sacrifices. An early marriage, becoming parents quickly, frequent trips and pressure from those around them were not easy trials.

Despite this, the couple have stayed together for three decades. Their relationship, though – as they themselves say – unconventional, was based on adapting to an unusual lifestyle, mutual support and the belief that, even after an argument, reconciliation is what matters most.

See also: Adam Małysz at a wedding with his family. His daughter wowed everyone with her outfit