‘An amazing experience of happiness’: Transplant Games Team Ireland return home

Some of the 14 members of Transplant Team Ireland arrived back in Dublin on Sunday afternoon following last week’s World Transplant Games in Perth, Australia, having won 17 medals between them.

The World Transplant Games had more than 1,500 competitors from 46 countries worldwide and was the largest gathering of transplant recipients in four years. Team Ireland had members ranging from 36 years old up to 75, all of whom have received organ transplants.

Mairead O’Mahony, from Berrings in Cork, came home with five medals after her first time competing in the games; two gold, two silver and a bronze. She received a bone-marrow transplant from her brother 26 years ago.

Speaking upon arrival at Dublin Airport on Sunday, Ms O’Mahony said that the games were “an amazing experience of happiness, everyone there is just so grateful for being alive.”

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She said that she was not expecting to win five medals “in a million years”.

[ ‘Two years ago, I couldn’t get out of bed to tie my shoe laces and now I’m competing in these games’ ]

“It brings to the forefront the importance of being aware of family members and what their wishes are with regard to donor awareness because so many people here would not be alive only for that,” she said.

Colin White, team manager for Transplant Team Ireland, said that this year’s Games were of personal importance to him, as his aunt Bernadette Cox had competed in the games for the first time after receiving a kidney transplant during Covid.

“Before I had a transplant, he said if you get a transplant, you’re coming to the World Games,” Ms Cox said, “and I went to the World Games and had a great time.”

Ron Grainger, a retired urologist and kidney transplant recipient from Castleknock, won four medals, and broke two world transplant time records in the 100m and 200m sprints in the 70-79-year-old age category, winning him two gold medals.

He also won a silver medal with Tony Gavigan for their team effort playing golf, and a bronze medal for individual golf.

Pat O’Sullivan from Mallow in Co Cork came home with a gold medal for golf pairs with Hugh Nolan and got to spend some quality time with his son, who recently moved over to Perth.

Mr O’Sullivan received a kidney transplant in 2015.

“I was a bit emotional now last night leaving now, he and his girlfriend drove me to the airport and I walked him back to the car after I checked my bags in, and then I was walking back to the airport and we had given our hugs,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“But the next thing I got was a ‘hey!’ and I turned around and he was coming at me again for another hug.”

Overall team Ireland won seven gold, six silver and four bronze medals at the games.