John Brennan and Andrew Gallagher are members of the team that will play in the first match for players who have received organ or stem cell transplants.
Team captain John Brennan, from Dundalk, underwent a heart transplant at Dublin's Matter Hospital in 2018, aged 37.
A founding member of the Irish football team, he has also served as the team’s selector and manager and is proud of the team’s achievements so far, which include winning a silver medal at the Solihull-Birmingham edition of the UK football tournament and consecutive wins against Team Northern Ireland.
“I'm taking part to show the public that it's possible to stay healthy and active after a transplant, and also to pay tribute to the donor and his family,” he says.
“The Ireland Football Transplant Team is more than just a football team – it is a group of individuals who have overcome some extremely tough life experiences with a common goal: to live healthy, active lives and show the world the power of organ donation.”
Andrew Gallagher, 38, from Dundalk, was diagnosed with high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease during a routine health check at the gym in 2009. He underwent dialysis treatment for two years but was saved in 2013 when his mother-in-law Jennifer Foster stepped in and donated a kidney.
An avid sportsman, Andrew enjoys running and played summer league football with the Shamrocks in his younger years.
He runs the Castletown Belles women's football team in Dundalk.
“Coaching is my forte. It's my number one hobby,” he says.
He's a big Dundalk FC fan and has also appeared on the Town End podcast.
Another founding member of the Irish Emigrant team, Andrew has already demonstrated his footballing skills in the team's recent successes with Solihull Birmingham.
“I'm participating simply because I can and because it's the best way I can show my appreciation to my donor, my family and the medical staff at Beaumont Hospital.”
This will be Andrew's first Olympic Games and he is looking forward to competing against his teammates.
“It's amazing to be able to represent someone you love in your life, but to do it after all the battles and hardships we've been through is just amazing. People around us have been looking on in concern, but to see us overcome those challenges now and turn our lives around for the better is really unique.”
