Eleven gold medals, six silver, three bronze and one trophy were collected by seven competitors at this year’s British Transplant Games.
Following months of intensive training, the seven competitors, who are all recipients of kidney transplants from the South West Transplant Centre, based at Derriford Hospital travelled to Coventry to compete in the annual games.
Stuart House, Jean Howard-Jones, Janet Jenkins, Emily Kidd, Michael McCullough, Sarah Roberts and Terry Wright collected the medals after competing in a number of events including swimming, track and field and ten-pin bowling.
Claire West, Research Nurse at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust and Team Manager for Team Plymouth, said: “I am so proud of the team for what they have achieved this year. These transplant athletes are an inspiration to us all and demonstrate the importance of the organ donor register and its potential to save lives.
“The Games play an important part for these athletes in helping them to live a full and active life following their successful transplant. They give everyone a focus, as well as being a place to celebrate the gift of life and give competitors the opportunity to express their thanks to the donors and their families.
“If it were not for the generosity and kindness of the people and their families who donated lifesaving organs the Transplant Games would simply not happen.”
The British Transplant Games is an annual event and is held in major cities across Britain. This year’s event took place over four days in Coventry, from 30th July to 2nd August.
The aim of the event is to publicly and visibly demonstrate the benefits of a successful organ transplant, whilst promoting the full rehabilitation and wellbeing of its participants and members. By illustrating the power of the gift of life, the games strive to encourage people to sign the organ donor register and help save the lives of the 9,000 people in the UK currently on the transplant waiting list.
Team Photo supplied by DE Photo.
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Claire West, Team Manager
Claire is a Research Nurse at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust. She first got interested in the Transplant Games when working on the Transplant Ward and has been the Plymouth Team Manager for the past four years. She is also the Editor for the national magazine, Transplant Sport, both of these are voluntary roles.
Her main roles, as Team Manager, are to organise for the team to get to the British Transplant Games and associated events, and ensure everything runs smoothly once at the events.
Claire feels passionately about the British Transplant Games and the associated events, as they help to promote the importance of organ donation, and also allow those who have had a transplant a reason to become fit following their surgery. She has met many people throughout the years at the British Transplant Games that if they had not had their transplant they simply would not be alive today. |
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Stuart House (Millbrook, Cornwall)
Stuart spent six months on dialysis before receiving his transplant from his father in July 2006. He has competed in the British Transplant Games for the last three years and is competing in the World Transplant Games in Australia this summer.
He competed this year in the shot putt, discus and swimming gaining the following medals:
Discus Gold medal
Shot putt Silver medal
50m Breaststroke Silver medal
50m Freestyle Bronze medal
100m Breaststroke Bronze medal
Photo supplied by DE Photo |
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Jean Howard-Jones (Dorset)
Jean was transplanted at Derriford in October 1999. Jean returned to swimming after a gap of 43 years. Setting her sights on the World Transplant games in Kobe, Japan in 2001, she began training at her local pool in Hampshire. Success in Kobe brought her to the attention of the editor of the Swimming Times magazine who introduced her to Masters swimming.
She has reduced her sprint times for freestyle and Jean now holds five British Masters records for the 65-69 age group in 50m and 100m, both short and long course and 100m individual medley. In the past twelve months she has added 200m freestyle and 50m Fly and holds the current British titles in all events.
As a member of the London based Spencer club, she has British, European and World Masters records in both freestyle and medley teams in age groups spanning 200, 240 and 280 years.
Jean competed this year at the Games in swimming winning medals in:
50m Breaststroke Gold medal
50m Butterfly Gold medal
50m Backstroke Gold medal
50m Freestyle Gold medal
100m Freestyle Gold Medal
Jean also won the Royal Ulster Constabulary Trophy (Victrex Ludorum Swimming – Super Veteran Female)
Photo supplied by DE Photo |
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Janet Jenkins (Plymouth)
Janet was on dialysis for a total of 12 years, which included dialysis at the hospital and at home, and she was on peritoneal dialysis for seven years. Her current kidney transplant, which she has had for seven years, is her third transplant.
Janet believes the Transplant Games, as well as raising the importance of transplantation, has given her an opportunity to “have a go” at all sports. Her main sport is swimming, but she has had a go at ten-pin bowling, lawn bowls, athletics and Bobsleigh.
She is very proud to represent not only Derriford Hospital, but also Great Britain in two World Games in Canada and Bangkok.
Janet competed this year in 3k walk, ten-pin bowling, 400m track and Shot putt gaining the following medals:
Ten-pin bowling Gold medal
400m Track Bronze medal
Shot putt Silver medal |
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Emily Kidd (Liskeard)
Emily had a short period of dialysis prior to her first transplant when she was six. She went in to end stage renal failure when she was around 16/17 and was eventually dialysed for two years prior to her second transplant that she had in May 2000. Emily’s main contact has been with the Children’s Games, but she really enjoyed this year’s British Transplant Games.
She loves swimming, walking and cooking cakes.
She competed this year in 100m track, swimming and Cricket Ball Throw gaining the following medals:
50m Breaststroke Silver medal
50m Backstroke Gold medal
50m Freestyle Gold medal
Cricket Ball Throw Silver medal
100m Track Silver medal
Photo supplied by DE Photo |
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Michael McCullough (Plymouth)
Mike first commenced dialysis in 1981. He has had two kidney transplants, the second being 18 years ago. The main sports he has competed in are snooker, table tennis and darts.
He has competed in 17 British Transplant Games. Mike would like to thank all the medical staff who have taken care of his health and enabled him to lead a good quality of life.
He would like to thank his Plymouth team mates for making his time at the Games so enjoyable. He would also like to thanks his family for their support, who have been there every step along the way, and especially his wife Lorraine, who has helped him to cope on more than one occasion. Mike competed this year in Snooker and Lawn Bowls. |
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Sarah Roberts (Launceston)
Sarah received her transplant in 2006. She competed in her first British Transplant Games last year in 2008. Unfortunately, due to an injury she was only able to compete in Javelin this year, which was an exhibition event. She is looking forward to competing in more events in next year’s British Transplant Games in Bath.
Photo supplied by DE Photo |
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Terry Wright (Looe)
Terry spent two years on dialysis before receiving his kidney transplant 17 years ago in October. He has competed in 16 British Transplant Games and five World Transplant Games, and believes that keeping fit has helped him to stay healthy, and the Transplant Games help promote organ transplantation.
Terry is competing in the World Transplant Games 2009 in Australia. He competed in the Table Tennis and 5k Walk at this year’s British Transplant Games gaining a Gold medal in both events. |