Pogacar foundation awards 35 scholarships to children battling cancer: “Never give up and never give in”

Tadej Pogacar is currently the best cyclist in the world. On the bike, the Slovenian is practically unrivaled, but off the bike, as a person, he is also a role model. Whenever he can, the two-time world champion is seen doing his bit for different charities. He even has one of his own, which has now been in the news after a beautiful gesture.

Pogacar's foundation recently awarded a total of 35 scholarships to students who have undergone or are currently undergoing cancer treatment. Initially, the amount to be awarded was 10. But the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider insisted because, in his own words (reported in Siol), it was "difficult to have to turn someone down".

"I would like to congratulate you for bravely facing an illness that has not taken away your faith in life, but has helped you become a better version of yourself. I could say that “Your letters embody Tadej’s motto: Never give up and never give in” said Marjeta Pogačar, a member of the three-person commission that reviewed the applications received.

The money invested in these 35 scholarships comes from the exhibition held by Tadej Pogacar at the end of the 2025 season, a race called "Pogi Challenge" that raised, in its first edition, a total of 94,000 euros.

"In addition to the financial support, the symbolic meaning of the scholarship is also very important to me. During the treatment, when I was in the hospital for a long time, I used to watch Tadej Pogačar persevering for hours and hours on the bicycle on TV. That gave me the strength not to give up and keep fighting," said Manca, one of the scholarship students.

This is the second project on which the Tadej Pogacar Foundation and the association have teamed up this year, after also delivering €9,000 worth of rehabilitation equipment to the clinical department of hematology and children's oncology at the UKC Pediatric Clinic in Ljubljana in 2025.