BROOKLYN, N.Y.—Olympic bronze-medalist fencer Monica Aksamit was named the 2016 “PSFCU Rising Star” by the Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union following the Summer Olympic Games in Rio. Aksamit, 26, has been a member of the credit union for the past 18 years, and has been awarded $5,000 by PSFCU.
Aksamit received her prize earlier this week during the “Rising Star” awards ceremony held at the PSFCU branch in Linden, N.J. The “Rising Star” program was set up to award scholarships and funds to young members of the credit union for their extraordinary achievements on the national or international level.
At the Rio Olympics, Aksamit took home a bronze medal in the Women’s Saber Team Event.
“I’m so grateful for this award. This money will help me prepare for the Olympic Games in Tokyo,” Aksamit said in a statement. “You could say that I started to train for fencing because of the credit union. My mother worked at PSFCU, and Mr. Janusz Mlynek, my first coach, was a member here. They talked about fencing and that’s how it all started.”
The credit union reported that Aksamit began her membership with a minor’s account that her mother had set up for her when she was eight years old.
In handing the $5,000 check to this year’s “Rising Star” recipient, PSFCU Chief Executive Officer Bogdan Chmielewski said, “The entire Polish-American community is proud of all our achievements. We are thrilled at your fencing in Rio and we hope for continued success at the next Olympics in Tokyo.”