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The World Transplant Games have been in existence for over 25 years. The first Transplant Olympics were held in Portsmouth in 1978, these games were an international event with teams from France, Germany, Greece, and the United States competing.
Since these early beginnings with some 99 competitors the Games have grown and now attract over 1500 competitors from over 50 countries. The International Summer Games are held every two years and in the intervening years, the Winter Games are held.
World Transplant Games, Sydney, 1997, steps of Opera House.
All participants have received a life saving organ transplant and on a regime of immunosuppressant medication. World Transplant Games participants demonstrate the level of health and vitality that can be achieved after transplantation.
The games embrace all ages, from 4 years of age to 85 years young, and all are welcome to participate provided they have received a lifesaving organ transplant at least one year before the games take place. Participants must be medically fit to take part, with no significant complications from their transplant surgery.
The Games include everything from 5 and 10 pin bowling and tennis to volleyball and a mini-marathon - athletics, swimming, table tennis, badminton, squash, golf, lawn bowls, and cycling, to name a few. The standards of these games are high and many records are held.
There are over 68 member countries of the World Transplant Games Federation, most of whom have their own National Transplant Sports organisations. In addition there are now Regional Games, including the European, Middle East, Asia Games, with South American and African in the future.
The World Transplant Games are open to transplant recipient members of Transplant Australia and are the single biggest organ donation & transplantation awareness event in the world and the ideal way of showing the world what a difference organ donation can make.
To be eligible to attend the World Transplant Games, the World Transplant Games Federation accepts athletes with the following transplants: - kidney, liver, heart, lung (single or double), bone marrow or pancreas. There is criteria. World Transplant Games expressions of interest are to be directed to Jan Wall, Team Manager - 07 3343 8561 or janrosewall@iinet.net.au
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Click here to donate to the Transplant Australia Trust - Ashley Cooper Foundation.
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