Tipp athletes to compete in World Transplant Games

Three Tipperary athletes will take part in the World Transplant Games in Malaga in a month's time, including kidney transplant recipients Orla Hogan and Sheila Gregan from Nenagh, and liver transplant recipient Vincent Bradshaw from Cahir.

Sheila and Orla recently attended a motivational talk by Kilkenny hurler Michael Fennelly in Dublin.

Showcasing the importance of organ donation, 29 athletes will represent Ireland at the World Transplant Games in Malaga this summer (June 25th - July 2nd). Members of Transplant Team Ireland travelled from the four corners of Ireland to a photocall and motivational talk by the Kilkenny All Star Hurling great Michael Fennelly. The eight times All Ireland Senior title holder and three times Club Championship winner was nursing an Achilles injury when he shared his experience, as a prolific player and lecturer in Nutrition and Coaching, with an eager Transplant Team Ireland at ALSAA Sports Complex, Dublin Airport.

At the forthcoming World Transplant Games, the 29 Irish competitors, including nine women and 19 supporters, will join others from over 50 countries in what will be the biggest gathering of transplant recipients this year - almost 1,000 competitors registered to take on events as diverse as athletics, badminton, swimming, ten pin bowling and darts, to name but a few. Ranging in age from 30 to 79, Transplant Team Ireland includes fiver liver transplant recipients and 24 who have undergone kidney transplants. One of the kidney transplant recipients is also poignantly the father of a deceased organ donor.

The Irish Kidney Association is responsible for co-ordinating and managing Transplant Team Ireland’s participation at European and World Transplant Games events. Colin White, the National Projects Manager of the Irish Kidney Association is the Ireland Team Manager and he is also currently the Treasurer of the World Transplant Games Federation.

Colin said: “This year the World Transplant Games Federation is celebrating 30 years and we can be proud of the tradition that our team has in the competition. Our team is known for its sense of fair play as well as its sense of fun with both underpinned by a steely competitive edge. Our athletes are coming from across the country and their dedication and commitment is not only to their training, in practical terms, they also fund the vast majority of the costs involved. Their motivation is driven by a determination to be Fit for Life, to show other ‘patients’ what can be achieved post-transplant and to encourage the general public to have a family discussion about organ donation.

 “It will be my seventh World Transplant Games as Ireland Team Manager and it continues to be a most humbling honour to be a part of such an inspiring group of people. I look forward to witnessing our four new team members experiencing their first Opening Ceremony, our regular members renewing friendships and sporting rivalries and the support that we will receive from family and friends via our team website www.transplantteamireland.ie The realisation that all of the competitors at the Games will be there because of the generosity of organ donors, and their families, is a wonderful reminder than there is a lot of good in society!”

In giving his motivational talk Michael Fennelly shared his insights into Kilkenny’s winning ways and his knowledge as a graduate who holds an MSc in Sports Performance from University of Limerick (UL) and who now works as a Lecturer for the Limerick Institute of Technology at its Thurles campus. Afterwards he took time to chat and be photographed with each team member. He said, “It was a pleasure to spend some time with these inspirational athletes who will represent their country at the World Transplant Games. I have huge admiration for each and every one of them. Most of us take our health for granted but these brave people have all faced uncertain futures and battled illness and organ failure. Their determination and great spirit is to be commended in taking on and enjoying competitive sport as a way of keeping fit, celebrating life and honouring their donors. I wish all the members and traveling staff of Transplant Team Ireland the very best of luck and am grateful for the opportunity to meet them.”

Every athlete at the World Transplant Games will have already received a kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas or bone marrow transplant.

 

The Irish team includes four newcomers. Although the main objective for team members is to embrace life and promote organ donation, some returning team members will also be contesting World titles. Keen to build on their medal successes at the previous World Transplant Games in Argentina in 2015, Deirdre Faul, Kieran Murray, Tony Gartland and Peter Heffernan have being training hard in anticipation of the competition in Malaga. Between them, the much smaller team of four won 13 medals including 7 Gold, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze in Argentina. Two years previously at the World Games in Durban, South Africa 2013, the Irish team of 24 athletes scooped 34 medals including 12 Gold, 10 Silver and 12 bronze with 50 competing countries.

Team Captain Harry Ward from Baldoyle, Dublin has represented Ireland at numerous international Games events both as a dialysis patient and in more recent years as a transplant recipient thanks to his kidney transplant which he received in 2007.

The youngest member to the team is 30 years old Rachel Eagleton, a kidney transplant recipient from Meath who is returning to the team after taking a few years out to study for her ACCA exams which she qualified for recently.

This will be the first World Transplant Games competition for the oldest member of the team John McAleer from Antrim. The retired university lecturer took part in the European Transplant & Dialysis Championships Games three times before, first as a dialysis patient four years ago and in 2014 and 2016 as a kidney transplant recipient. He is embracing life since being called off a golf course to receive a kidney transplant in 2013.

Also travelling with the team will be Team Medical Director and newlywed, Claire Kennedy, from Clontarf, Dublin who works in the transplantation department at Beaumont Hospital. This will be Claire’s second time to perform her role as Team Doctor having travelled with the team last year to the Games in Finland. She was unable to attend the team gathering at ALSAA as she was honeymooning in South Africa.

Athletes will compete in their respective age categories in the following events: badminton, cycling, darts, golf, petanque, squash, swimming, table tennis, ten pin bowling, tennis, mini-marathon, and track and field.

For more information on World Transplant Games and the Irish athletes visit the Irish team blog www.transplantteamireland.ie Visit the Games website www.wtgmalaga2017.com/en

 

THE FULL IRISH PANEL IS AS FOLLOWS (and their individual ‘athlete profiles’ are on the team blog):-

ANTRIM: John McAleer, Newtownabbey (kidney) (oldest member of the team)

CORK: Mike Keohane, Clonakilty (liver); Charlie Ryan, Cobh (liver); Michael Kiely, Mitchelstown, on the Limerick border (kidney); Pat O’Sullivan, Mallow (kidney)

CARLOW: Tony (Patrick Anthony)Gartland, Hacketstown(liver), first liver transplant person in Ireland

CLARE: Marie O’Connor, Lahinch (kidney)

DONEGAL: Kieran Murray, Ramelton (kidney)

GALWAY: Sinead McGowan, Renmore (living in Australia)

KERRY: Con Brosnan, Killarney (kidney)

KILDARE: James Nolan, Kilcullen (kidney)

MEATH: Tony Gavigan, Navan, a native of Lanesborough, Longford (kidney transplant and father of deceased donor); Rachel Eagleton, Bettystown (kidney) - youngest member of the team

MONAGHAN: Michelle Reinhardt McCabe, Smithboro (kidney)

TIPPERARY: Orla Hogan, Nenagh (kidney); Vincent Bradshaw, Cahir (liver); Sheila Gregan, Nenagh (kidney)

WESTMEATH: John Connell, (South Africa), formerly from Harbour Street, Mullingar (kidney)

WICKLOW: Garry Campbell, Greystones (kidney)

DUBLIN: Ron Grainger, Castleknock, D.15 (kidney); Harry Ward, Team Captain, Baldoyle, D.13 (kidney); Paul Prendergast, Santry, D.9 (kidney); Anthony Byrne, Artane (kidney); Angela Sherlock, Greenhills (kidney); Peter Heffernan, Skerries (kidney); Aoife Murray, Clonsilla, (liver);

Michael Dwyer, Cabinteely; Leonard Ryan, Tallaght, D 24 (kidney); and Deirdre Faul, Dalkey (liver).

 

Team Manager, Colin White from Balbriggan, Dublin

Team Doctor, Claire Kennedy, from Lucan and living in Clontarf, Dublin

 

For organ donor cards Freetext DONOR to 50050 or visit website www.ika.ie/card.  You can now download the IKA’s new digital donor card by visiting www.donor.ie on your smartphone. Your wishes to be an organ donor can also be included on the new format driving licence which is represented by Code 115.