We’re game for medal success
Transplant athlete Karen is on team
A group of inspirational Lanarkshire organ transplant recipients will soon be heading to Birmingham for the 2018 British Transplant Games.
Fourteen competitors from the Lanarkshire Transplant Team will be waved off from the Civic Centre in Motherwell on August 1 by Provost Jean Jones as they head south to compete in various sporting events.
Also on board the coach, which is sponsored by Kidney Care UK, the sportsmen and women will be accompanied by 10 supporters, including relatives of people who have made organ donations.
The Games are expected to attract more than 750 transplant athletes and more than 1,500 supporters from all over the UK.
Among the competitors is Wishaw woman Karen Casey who received a kidney transplant - and a new lease of life - four years ago.
Karen, 51, of Thornlie Gill, captained Team Lanarkshire when they competed in last year’s Games at Strathclyde Park.
At the Birmingham Games, she will be competing in various events including bowling, darts, archery, field and ten-pin bowling.
Fe l l ow competitors from Lanarkshire will be hoping to return home with medals from hotlycontested athletics events.
“This is the first time the team has gone away to compete, so it’s very exciting for us,” said Karen, who says Team Lanarkshire have welcomed new members since last year’s Games.
“As well as our own events, every single member of the team will be doing the donor walk in honour of our donors. Some donors’ families will be coming along and it will be an honour to have them travelling with the team.”
The Lanarkshire Transplant Team is made up of patients who have all had organ transplants. The aim of the team is to regain fitness by taking part in sporting events, to help promote the NHS organ register and to honour their donor families.
Team Lanarkshire recently set up an archery group, which currently meets at the Time Capsule but will be moving to a permanent home in Wishaw in October.
The Lanarkshire archery group, which will compete in championships at Scottish and GB levels, is one of only two in Scotland to achieve the gold standard for disability sports.
Team Lanarkshire will be in Motherwell town centre over the next three weeks to talk to shoppers about organ donation and encourage them to sign the NHS organ register.
The team will also be selling raffle tickets to help fund their accommodation during their fivenight stay in Birmingham.
Every member of team will be doing the donor walk.”