Cork athletes win ten medals at British Transplant Games

Cork athletes are celebrating winning 10 medals at the British Transplant Games held in Coventry recently.

Transplant Sport Ireland won a total of 16 gold, nine silver and six bronze medals, making it the most successful Transplant team ever to compete in these championships.

Over 1,200 athletes who are heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas and bone marrow transplant recipients and kidney dialysis patients from all over the UK, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia took part in the four-day sports competition.

Lining out for Cork was Mick O’Shea, a heart recipient from Mallow who took the bronze in the 100m sprint in Coventry and also captained the soccer team’s journey to bronze. He was joined on the pitch by Owen Crudge from Clonakilty and Patrick O’Driscoll from Ballinascarthy.

Crudge, who had a kidney transplant in 2020, took the bronze in his 100m and also won bronze in soccer.

“I am insanely grateful to my donor and the medical team that have helped me from start to finish for restoring my life to a normal happy positive healthy state,” Crudge said.

“Organ donation is nothing short of a miracle and this platform helps promote its importance and the results of it.”

Liver recipient O’Driscoll was also on the Transplant Soccer team and scored a penalty in an exciting shoot-out to win a bronze medal.

“It’s not all about winning at these games. It is about honouring your donor, promoting organ donation and being part of a wider Transplant family,” he said.

Mike Keohane from Rosscarbery made his ninth appearance at British Games and retained his 5k race-walk title which he has held since 2014.

He also took gold in the shot put and gold in the discus and finished off with bronze in the javelin.

Veteran of the Games Charlie Ryan from Cobh who had a liver transplant in 2007 took home bronze in the 10-pin bowling competition.

“The Transplant Games keep me active and motivated.

“I enjoy being part of the extended family that is Transplant Team Ireland and I have made lots of friends whom I have met from around the world,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be here today were it not for my donor and their family and taking part in Transplant Sport is my way of honouring and expressing my gratitude to them.”

Transplant Sport Ireland had 26 transplanted adults, five transplanted underage athletes, and three living donors competing from Cork, Cavan, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Limerick, Louth, Mayo, Tipperary, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.