World Transplant Games

The World Transplant Games is the largest organ donor awareness event in the world.

The 17th World Transplant Games will be staged on the Gold Coast, Queensland, from August 22-30, 2009, attracting up to 3,000 participants from more than 70 countries.

All competitors taking part in the Games have received a life-saving transplant including heart, lung, liver, bone marrow and kidney. Without these transplants competitors would have died or in the case of kidney recipients, many would have survived only as a result of intensive renal support in the form of dialysis.

Transplant Games are staged:

To raise awareness about organ and tissue donation
To provide transplant recipients with goals for their recovery programs and to allow them to benchmark their physical fitness against other recipients
To show gratitude to families of organ and tissue donors and living donors
To encourage all Australians to sign the Australian Organ Donor Register and increase organ and tissue donation rates in Australia

The Games will be conducted with major partners, Queensland Events Corporation, The Federal Department of Health and Ageing, the Queensland Department of Health, Australian Sports Commission and Gold Coast City Council.

A total of 14 sports will be featured at the Games including athletics, swimming, table tennis, badminton, lawn bowls, cycling and volleyball. The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre will be used as the Games hub and events will take place at many of the sporting facilities on the Coast including Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre.

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Visit the World Transplant Games website

Transplant Australia

World Transplant Games