TWO Tipperary women are set to take part in the European Transplant and Dialysis Sports Championships in Italy next month.
Kidney transplant recipients Orla Hogan and Sheila Gregan, both from Nenagh, will be joining fellow Irish athletes on the Transplant Ireland team panel.
The current membership of the Irish Transplant Team comprises 24 athletes (10 women and 14 men) aged between 31 and 80, including five liver transplant recipients, 16 kidney transplant recipients and three dialysis patients, including two women who have received combined kidney and pancreas transplants. Two are awaiting their next kidney transplant, but their pancreas transplant is still functioning.
Team Manager Colin White said: “The Irish team has built up a fantastic reputation at the European Championships over the years and has achieved great results including consistently finishing in the top five in the medal tally. The team's spirit of fair play and camaraderie is also always highly valued. As well as tackling the individual challenges posed by the Championships, team members also have a collective responsibility to demonstrate the importance and success of organ donation and transplantation. I always enjoy the impact that the team's efforts have on others living with organ failure. Their positive and motivated attitude inspires newly diagnosed people to realise the possibility of a very fulfilling and rewarding future.”
Team Ireland have had great success at other European Championships over the past few years, with the last European Championships held in Vantaa, Finland in 2016 seeing the Irish team's final medal tally amount to an astounding 21 gold, 19 silver and 29 bronze medals. This placed the Irish team of 28 athletes joint fifth on the medal tally with hosts Finland, with their much larger team of 96 athletes taking the top spot out of the 24 nations that competed.
The European Transplant and Dialysis Sports Championships is a celebration of life and shows the value of sport and regular exercise for dialysis and transplant patients. The competition is open to all kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas and bone marrow transplant recipients and dialysis patients. This multi-sport event includes athletics, badminton, cycling, darts, golf, mini marathon, pétanque, swimming, table tennis, tennis, bowling, virtual triathlon and the organizers have also added archery and surfcasting. Athletes are divided into six age groups (18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70+).
Pictured: The Irish Transplant Team with football legend Peter Canavan ahead of the European Transplant and Dialysis Sports Championships
The Irish Kidney Association is the charity that manages Transplant Team Ireland's participation in UK, European and World Transplant Games events. After successfully hosting the 6th European Transplant and Dialysis Games in Dublin in 2010, attracting over 500 participants and supporters from 23 countries, the Irish Kidney Association is looking forward to bringing the biennial European Games back to Ireland in 2020.
John McAleer, 80, a former university lecturer and kidney transplant recipient from Antrim, is likely to be the oldest participant at the upcoming European Games; he was the oldest at the previous two biennial games. Kidney transplant recipient Rachel Eagleton from Bettystown, County Meath, and liver transplant recipient Aoife Murray from Clonsilla, Dublin are the two youngest in the current team, both aged 31. Tony Gartland from Hackettstown, County Carlow, was Ireland's first liver transplant recipient, 25 years ago in 1999, at St Vincent's Hospital.
Several other members of the team are surviving successful life-saving transplants, including James Nolan from Kilcullen, who received a kidney from his sister Catherine over 30 years ago. The team captain is Harry Ward, a kidney recipient from Dublin, and the team also includes team doctor Heather Gunning and team manager Colin White, who is also currently Honorary Secretary of the European Federation of Transplant and Dialysis Sports. A new member of the team is Verina Borisova, originally from Bulgaria and now living in Tallaght. Verina is currently undergoing dialysis treatment whilst awaiting her third kidney transplant, and, like teammate Linda Waters, has received a combined kidney and pancreas transplant.
The full members of the Irish panel are:
Antrim: John McAleer, Newtownabbey (kidney) (oldest member of the team)
Carlow: Tony Gartland, Hackettstown (River)
Cork: Mike Keohane, Rosscarbery, Clonakilty (liver); Patrick O'Sullivan, Mallow (kidney); Charlie Ryan, Cobh (liver);
Claire: Marie O'Connor, Lahinch (kidneys)
Donegal: Kieran Murray, Ramelton (kidney)
Kerry: Stephen Byrne, Tralee (kidney)
Kildare: James Nolan, Kilcullen (kidney)
Kilkenny/Limerick: Emma O'Sullivan, from Glynn, Co. Limerick, Kilkenny (Kidney)
Meath: Rachel Eagleton, Bettystown (kidney) (youngest member of the team)
Roscommon: Linda Waters, Roscommon (dialysis, pancreas transplant)
Tipperary: Orla Hogan, Nina (kidney) Sheila Gregan, Nina (kidney)
Westmeath: Finian Farrell, Mullingar (kidney)
Dublin: Peter Heffernan, Skerries (kidney); Ron Grainger, Castleknock, D.15 (kidney); Paul Prendergast, Santry, D.9 (kidney); Aife Murray, Clonsilla, D.15 (liver); Harry Ward, team captain, Baldoyle, D.13 (kidney); Chicoyo White, Balbriggan (dialysis);
Leonard Ryan, Tallaght, 24 (kidneys), Verina Borisova, (newcomer) from Bulgaria now living in Tallaght, 24 (dialysis with pancreas transplant), Deirdre Fall, Dalkey (liver).
Team Manager: Colin White (Balbriggan, Co. Dublin)
Team Doctor: Heather Gunning, Dublin 8
