Welcome to the Team Ohio Official Website
The Transplant Games of America is an Olympic-style event for athletes who have undergone life-saving transplant surgeries and living donors. Competition is open to anyone who has received a solid organ transplant or bone marrow donation. More than just an athletic event, the Transplant Games of America highlights the critical importance of organ and tissue donation, while celebrating the lives of organ donors and recipients.
Transplant recipients, and living donors who are more than 9 months post transplant can participate in sporting events including 5K run, Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Cycling, Golf, Racquetball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball.
Since the announcement by the NKF in May suspending the transplant games for 2012, a group of individuals in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area have been working hard to stage Transplant Games. The first step has been finalized. The 2012 Transplant Games of Amerca will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The local organizing group has partnered with the Western Michigan Sports Commission to stage/organize/ the games in Grand Rapids, Michigan. If you are interested in any facet of the games, volunteer, athlete, donor family, living donor, medical professional, supporter you can sign up here and assist Team Ohio at the 2012 Games.
I’m Antawn Jamison and I endorse the Transplant Games of America.
These games are important because they not only bring awareness to the fact that there are over 112,712 people currently waiting for life saving organs but more importantly they bring transplant and donor families together. These organ recipient athletes need your help to show how healthy they can be after their life saving surgeries. I’m doing my part to support them by supporting these games and I hope you will do the same.
Antawn Jamison
Cleveland Cavaliers Forward and Two Time NBA All-Star
Attention Transplant Recipients and Living Donors!
If you are 1 year post transplant and can obtain a physician's approval for your participation, you can join Team Ohio. For the past 2 Games, we had 50+ athletes and want to equal that number again. So, sign up today and be a part of 2012 Team Ohio as an athlete.
My name is Angie.
I am a donor sister. I am participating in the Transplant Games of America to honor my brother, Rob Gates, and all other heroes that have saved many lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation. My brother Saved 4 lives! I was able to meet one of his recipients. Fred Girscht recieved my brother's kidney and pancreas. I have seen first hand how amazing the Gift of Life truly is! Since being involved with Lifebanc, I have been touched by many people either waiting for an organ transplant or who have already recieved their gift of life. Organ donation awareness is my way of keeping my brother's legacy alive.
Rob Gates 8/4/1976-3/26/2001. Hero.
My name is Katie, and I am a two time kidney transplant recipient. I participated in the Transplant Games for the first time in 2008, after attending a meeting to learn more about them. After attending in 2008, I was hooked, and participated once again in 2010.
The games are more than an athletic competition/event for me, it is a celebration of the life that I have been given because of organ donation, as well as a way for me to honor both of my organ donors. I have met some pretty amazing people by participating in these games, some that I am very proud to call my best friends.
My hope is to continue participating in future games to celebrate my life as well as those of others, honor all donors, and help bring awareness to organ donation to show just how much is possible after a life saving transplant.
Announcing the 2012 Transplant Games
by Transplant Games of America
Team Ohio, 2010 in Madison Wisconson
Location
Grand Rapids, Michigan
(Grand Valley State University)
Date
July 28-31, 2012
