Whilst we know that many people we support attend the British Transplant Games, this year was the first time the British Liver Trust was one of the Games sponsors and we were therefore able to attend as a charity. What an experience it was!
We joined our colleagues from Children’s Liver Disease Foundation at the Games which took place in Nottingham from August 1 – 4 and it was a privilege to see the transformative effect of organ donation on such a scale.
The Games were a great way of letting people know just how we can help them.
We saw all manner of sports, from track and field competitions to swimming, cycling, badminton – even darts. And it was wonderful to be part of an event where competitors ranged in age from toddlers to undoubted veterans!
It was a great opportunity to let people who might not otherwise have known about the work of the British Liver Trust and how we might be able to help them.
Angela received a gold medal for the 3k walk on her 76th birthday – exactly five years after receiving her liver transplant.
Shona took silver for swimming
The highlight was undoubtedly being able to chat face to face with the people we support and to be there for people who give their time to us various ways, whether it’s by sharing their stories, contacting their MP or generally raising awareness of what we do.
We enjoyed many proud moments at medal ceremonies, which were made all the more special by knowing, in many cases, the journeys competitors had made to be able to claim that medal. But this was undoubtedly an event where the taking part was far more important than the winning. Every athlete there was testament to the wonderful work being done in the field of organ transplantation and we were delighted to be a part of it.
If you have a transplant story which you’d like to share go to, you can do so here.
Everyone wanted to join us for a picture!
