World Transplant Games

Tim Adamson & Sarah Smith

Background

We were both been fortunate enough to receive a life changing kidney transplant at Addenbrooke’s hospital, Tim transplanted in March 2002 and Sarah transplanted in March 2003. This was Sarah’s second kidney transplant, her first being from her mum on her 18^th birthday in 1993. This unfortunately rejected some 3 years later. Both of us have returned to good health, and are now enjoying an active sporting life.

We both attended our first British Transplant Games in Norwich in 2004 representing Addenbrookes. The British Transplant Games is an annual event and helps to promote organ donation, donor registration and the benefits of carrying the donor card. The games show how transplantees can live their lives to the full following the greatest gift of a transplant.

From attending the Norwich games in 2004, Sarah was selected to represent the UK at the World Transplant Games in Ontario, Canada in 2005. The World Transplant Games is a bi-annual event to which transplant competitors from all over the world compete in their chosen sporting events. Sarah competed in Badminton, Long Jump and 800 metres and came home with a silver medal in badminton singles, bronze in the long jump and a bronze in the 800 metres.

Following on from our annual attendance at the British Transplant Games we were both selected to represent the UK to compete in Thailand in 2007 at the World Transplant Games. Tim won a silver medal in Badminton Doubles and Sarah her first gold medals at the World Games in Badminton Doubles and long Jump, and a silver in the High Jump.

Current progress

The 2009 World Games will be held on the Gold Coast, Australia and, once again, we have both been selected to compete. We fly out on 16^th August and the 17^th World Transplant Games will start on 22^nd August and last for 8 days, attracting up to 2,000 competitors from approximately 50 different countries. The UK team is made up of approximately 150 athletes.

We are regularly attending UK team training meetings at Loughborough University and Warwick University and also train with the UK Volleyball team in Nottingham in preparation for the World Games.

Both of us consider our selection an enormous honour and train hard on a weekly basis for our events, running, attending the gym and playing badminton regularly. Tim trains with a local volleyball club at the UEA and we both have regular badminton coaching from locally qualified coaches. Tim plays weekly for Lingwood Badminton Club in the Norwich and District League where, this season, they won their leagues in the men’s and mixed teams.

We both competed at the Transplant Sports UK badminton tournament in Manchester in April 2009, Tim winning the men’s doubles final and Sarah winning the ladies singles final and runner up silver in the doubles.

We are currently preparing for the 32^nd British Transplant Games in Coventry, which will run from 30^th July to 2^nd August. We will both be competing for our 6th year running. Tim will be competing in Badminton, Volleyball, Table Tennis and the 5km run, and Sarah will be competing in Badminton, Volleyball, Long Jump, High Jump and 3km run.

To enable us to compete in Australia we have had to self fund ourselves and have been busy fundraising, approaching companies and other organisations, reliant on the help from family and friends holding coffee mornings, car boot sales, market stall events, 5 a side football tournaments, sponsored walks so we could reach our required target of £2500.

Thank you

We would like to warmly thank the John Jarrold Trust for their generous financial support in helping to make this journey possible for both of us. In doing so you are helping to raise awareness of the desperate need for organ donors to register and supporting a World event which provides “living proof” that organ and tissue donation works and allows recipients, like us, to return to a productive and fulfilling life.

Sarah Smith & Tim Adamson