Southside athletes gear up for the World Transplant Games

THIS coming month 38 members of Transplant Team Ireland, including three Southsiders, will depart for the World Transplant Games 2019 in Newcastle Gateshead.

Ranging in age from 16 to 81, the team of 29 men and eight women, have all undergone organ transplants including one heart, one lung, four liver, one bone marrow and 31 kidney.

The largest ever Irish Transplant Team travelling abroad, they will be among 2000 participants from over 60 countries.

Among the ranks are Deirdre Faul, a liver transplant recipient from Dalkey and kidney transplant recipients Michael Dwyer from Cabinteely and Lenny Ryan from Tallaght. 

The three Southsiders have each enjoyed success at previous World and European Transplant Sports events

Deirdre underwent her liver transplant in 2003 and this summer is her 13th time to compete with Transplant Team Ireland.

This will see the all-round athlete compete in swimming events including Breastroke 50m and 100m and Freestyle 200 and 400m as well as defending her six in a row world transplant title in Squash singles.

At the previous biennial World Games, in Malaga in 2017, the then 49-year-old mother of two won four gold medals, breaking world transplant time records in both the 400m and 200m freestyle swimming events as well as coming first in the 100m breastroke which she followed up with a Gold for Squash.

Michael Dwyer, from Cabinteely, underwent his kidney transplant in 2000. At the previous World Transplant Games the proud father and grandfather won a Gold medal in the golf pairs event with teammate Garry Campbell from Wicklow. He also won a Silver medal in the Ball Throw event.

Earlier this year, in April, the avid golfer was part of the Irish team which won the 5 Nations Transplant Golf Shield in Livingston Scotland.

Michael, who will compete in the 60-69 year age category at the World Games, described what it means to him being part of Transplant Team Ireland.

“It means being with people who have travelled a similar journey and, like me, want to keep as fit as possible representing not only Ireland, but my donor too and hopefully showing others how important donation is."

At the world games he will compete in golf singles and golf team event as well as Ball Throw, Ten Pin bowling and Petanque.

Lenny Ryan from Tallaght has participated in three previous World Transplant Games.

Lenny who has undergone two kidney transplants, both from deceased donors, has also competed as both a dialysis patient and as a transplant recipient at previous European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships which take place on alternate years to World Transplant Games event.

He won two bronze medals for Petanque and Darts at the previous World Games in Malaga in 2017.

His events at the forthcoming World Games, under the 30-39 year age category, will once again include Petanque, Darts and ten-pin bowling.

National Projects Manager Colin White, from Balbriggan, is the team manager for this year’s games.