Nenagh athletes at UK Transplant Games

Four Tipperary athletes, including two from Nenagh, will participate in the British Transplant Games in Coventry at the end of July.

Along with fellow athletes from Transplant Sport Ireland, they will take part in the four-day sports competition amongst heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas and bone marrow transplant recipients and kidney dialysis patients from all over the UK, Northern Ireland, and even Australia! Live donors also compete at these games and Team Ireland is delighted to have three living donors compete in Coventry. Transplant Sport Ireland has 26 transplanted adults, five transplanted underage athletes, and three living donors competing from Cavan, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Limerick, Louth, Mayo, Tipperary, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.

Sheila Gregan from Nenagh had a kidney transplant in 2006 and has represented Ireland in five World Transplant games, five European games and one British Games. Sheila says: “I am taking part in this year’s British Games to continue to keep fit and maintain focus after competing in the recent World games in Perth Australia earlier this year.”

She will take part in the swimming events.

Paul Hackett from Nenagh, but now living in Dublin, received a kidney in 2017 having suffered from polycystic kidney disease, as do many of his family. He is taking part as he believes it is a great way to honour my donor and their family. Paul will take part in the football tournament, playing in the first ever Transplant Sport Ireland Soccer team to compete at these Games. He has played for Team Ireland in the recent soccer international against Team Northern Ireland and is looking forward to wearing the Irish jersey and playing with his teammates once again. He says: “I hope to win the soccer tournament with my team and do my donor and their family proud. I also wish to make my own family proud and compete with a great group of lads who have worked so hard to be here.”

Clonmel man Paschal Kavanagh had a kidney transplant, which was life- changing. He got involved with Irish soccer team to help promote organ donation. At the games he hopes to honour his donor and their family and support the rest of the Irish team.

James Harney from Clonmel also has played for Team Ireland in the recent soccer tournaments - winning silver in Solihull (Birmingham) in the UK soccer tournament and enjoying the team’s back to back international success against Team Northern Ireland. He is looking forward to wearing the Irish jersey and playing with his teammates once again. James had a heart transplant 16 years ago and it has given him a new lease of life and the ability to play a sport he loves.

Transplant Sport actively promotes the importance of more people telling their family and friends they wish to donate, so that families do not refuse to give consent because of a lack of knowledge. It demonstrates powerfully that organ donation works and each athlete is deeply grateful for the gift of life – none more so than Team Ireland. Team Ireland’s showcases the success of organ donation and transplantation whilst offering inspiration to those who are newly transplanted or newly diagnosed with organ failure. To keep up to date on Ireland's progress, visit transplantsportireland.ie and their corresponding social media platforms.

The team have one simple request to everyone - to please consider carrying an Organ Donor Card and Have the conversation – Say Yes to Organ Donation