Tony Martin will auction off 2012 Olympic medal in relief effort for Ukrainian children

German Olympic medalist Tony Martin is auctioning off the silver medal he won in London 2012 to raise funds for children in Ukraine.

He took to his Instagram account Sunday to express his concern about the growing crisis. In his post, Martin said it was wrong to accept the situation in Ukraine after seeing the images of displaced families and children.

Funds that are raised will go to the Wir helfen Kindern -- a foundation that is supporting the children and affected families.

“I pay my deepest respect to everybody who helps the people that need to be protected the most: the Ukrainian kids and their families,” he wrote. “I also want to do my small part and help.”

During his career, Martin won four world titles and was considered one of the best time-trial cyclists in the world. His 2012 Olympic silver medal is one of his most treasured trophies, however the impact of seeing over four million children displaced is small in comparison.

“It’s not easy to separate me from the biggest trophy I could win in my career but considering the fact that millions of people lost almost everything, it is something I really want to do.”

The auction for his 2012 silver medal runs through April 9. The current bid is just over $10,500.

According to the U.N. Children’s Fund, one in every two kids in Ukraine has been displaced since Russia invaded the country on February 24.

UNICEF noted that over four million children have been affected by the conflict in Ukraine. This figure is equivalent to about half of the country’s estimated child population.

These numbers include 1.8 million Ukraine citizens who have either fled to neighboring countries along with another 2.5 million children that have been internally displaced.