The blog for today was very kindly provided by Kathryn, member of Transplant Sport NI , and former swim team member with Live Loudly Donate Proudly’s Lucia. (We weren’t there this time but, if you listened carefully, you might have heard some distant cheering…)
The saying ‘Team work makes the dreamwork’ can be overused at times however it became ever so apparent at the recent World Transplant Games held in Dresden, Germany…
As ‘our wee country’ walked into Dresden’s newly refurbished Heinz-Steyer Stadium and were announced as ‘Northern Ireland’ for the first time, I couldn’t help but have a tear in my eye. This was a historic milestone for Transplant Sport Northern Ireland (TSNI) as we competed for the first time as an official member country at the World Transplant Games. There were tears too as we remembered friends and team-mates who are no longer with us, but were such part of our journey to this point.
The World Transplant Games offer a global platform to express our gratitude to our donors, to celebrate our second chances, and to highlight the lifesaving impact of organ and tissue donation.
During the week, 22 transplanted athletes and 5 Living Donor athletes saw hours of training and preparation pay off as they ran, swam, swung, aimed, threw, walked and jumped their way to winning 18 Gold, 9 Silver and 8 Bronze medals for their country. Medals are amazing but even more special are the PBs, the goals met, and the friendships made – nothing can replicate that feeling.
As a collective of like-minded people, but who have been on their own deeply personal journeys and overcome extraordinary health challenges, the special bonds made through competing together will last a lifetime. Each and every one showcasing the best of humanity, the miracle of transplantation – cheering on, laughing and crying together through sport’s elations and disappointments. Emotions were tangible, stories related, and friendships were formed.
The NI teams’ camaraderie, resilience, and determination through the week embodies the spirit of sport and the transformative impact of organ and tissue donation.
As one of our experienced athletes summed up their experience;
“TSNI is a special club in which every member has earned their stripes, with scars displayed with pride. The teams behind the scenes – surgeons, consultants, nurses, doctors, donor families, friends, coaches, volunteers, physios, the structure on which athletes depend on… we salute you all…Organ donation just makes sense!
By competing in Dresden, the NI team honoured the heroes behind every donation, and did Northern Ireland proud on the world stage – each and everyone a true ambassador for NI!
