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.  Athletes click here for more information

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.

The 2012 Transplant Games

Team Ohio, 2010 in Madison Wisconson

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Location 

Grand Rapids, Michigan

(Grand Valley State University)

Date

July 28-31, 2012

Please, help support the ‘Twelve for 2012’ Team Ohio fund raising campaign to send the transplant-athletes to Grand Rapids, Michigan to represent the great state of Ohio in the Transplant Games.  Team Ohio is asking for your simple $12 donation (and more if you’d like).

Over 90% of the funds raised will be used directly to cover the expenses of travel, entry fees, hotel, and other miscellaneous costs.

David Hague, Team Co-Captain, South

614-557-3940

215 Rivers Edge Way

Gahanna, OH  43230

David Grier, Team Co-Captain, North

440-521-3726 (c) - 216-769-3141 (h)

1088 Carver Road

Cleveland Heights, OH  44112

Team Ohio e-mail

Team Ohio Contacts

Emmalyn (Emma) Brown 

Emmalyn received a liver transplant in 2007 at the age of 9 and just celebrated her 5th anniversary. She is competing in the Games for the 3rd time, and she will participate in Swimming and Track and Field.

Erik Cole 

Asia Werner

Asia is a pediatric heart transplant recipient who was not expected to live to see her first birthday. Asia had only another 24 to 48 hours left to live when we received the news on the evening of her first birthday, just three days before Christmas 2000, that a heart had been donated. Asia is now 12 ½ years old. This will be Asia’s first transplant games and she will be participating in swimming (50 breast, 50 free, 50 back, 50 fly), track and field (100m, high jump, long jump, softball throw), table tennis, and bowling.

Clark Beck

Clark received a kidney transplant in 1972,  then was challenged with colon cancer, postrate cancer and then several skin cancers. The leg and back arthritis made him give up the running, jumping and walking events, but will compete in standing events such as discus, shot put and softball throw.

Just a Few Faces of Team Ohio

David Grier  Co-Captain (North)

David received a liver transplant in 1997 and a liver-kidney in 2007.  He is a volunteer with in Cleveland Clinic Transplant Liver Social Workers and meets weekly with pre and post-liver transplant patients, and also a volunteer for LifeBanc.  This is his 3rd time bowling in the Transplant Games.

Nancy Hrivnak

Competing in the transplant games every two years in 2006, Nancy has received the U.S. women's silver triathlon medal in 2008. In 2012 she plans to complete the 5K and swim the 50 meter butterfly, 50 meter freestyle, and 100 meter freestyle. Shes a writer and editor and volunteers for LifeBanc, her church, the Geauga park district and the YMCA of Greater Cleveland.

Ryan Zinn

Ryan Zinn, 39 and a resident of Columbus, received his new heart on September 26, 1988 soon after contracting a virus.  He has been participating in US and World Transplant Games since 1992 having competed 10 times domestically and 9 times internationally.  Ryan will be competing in track and field, volleyball and table tennis at the 2012 Transplant Games of America.

How the Transplant Games Got Started

Dr. Shelly Artz

Dr. Artz received 2 heart transplantations (2 in 24 hours) January 30 & 31, 2003.  Dr. Artz has participated in 2 Games, participating in Doubles tennis and is the defending Gold Medalist, along with participating in Singles tennis and is also the defending Silver Medalist.

Tonya Gomez

Tonya Gomez, received her double lung transplant on May 25, 2004.  This will be her 4th time competing in the Transplant Games.  Tonya is participating in table tennis, badminton, volleyball, and basketball.

Terence "Tank" Kizer

I is 49 years old, and after 21 years of hemodialysis he received the gift of life on May 13th 2011 in the form of a kidney transplant. "Tank" feels  blessed, and also feels great. His sport will be golf at the Transplant Games. He has been married 24 years with two children Terence Jr, and Jazmin.

Chris May

Chris had a double lung transplant on February 16, 2009. This will be his first time attending and participating in the Games.  He intends on playing badminton, team bowling and hopes to participate in track and field and badminton, time permitting.

Doug Allcock

Doud had a liver transplant in Feb 2007, and will be attending his 3rd game. Doug volunteers in the Cleveland Clinic Transplant Center and visits those awaiting or those who have just had a transplant. I show them thar they will recover as I did  and go back to a normal life. I find this to be very rewarding. I also swim and walk regularly and is a very active 69 year old.

Steve DiFranco

Steve DiFranco received a stem cell transplant transplant from his sister, Debra.  Years later he then received a kidney from Debra and after an excellent recovery, Steve and Debra both enjoy running marathon together. Steve also medaled in the 2010 Transplant Games. In April of 2012, Steve had to undergo surgery for cancer.  As you can see, he is determined to participate in the 2012 Games.