The Australian Transplant Games are a celebration of the 2nd chance of life received through organ and tissue donation. The Games unite all those touched by donation including transplant recipients, donor families, living donors and those waiting for a transplant, as well as their families and friends. Through sports, games and various cultural events, competitors benchmark their renewed health and wellness and say thank you to organ and tissue donors.
The Games provide an opportunity to network with others in similar situations – transplant recipients, those undergoing dialysis treatment, those awaiting transplantation, living donors, family members of deceased donors and transplant recipients as well as supporters. The Australian Transplant Games are Australia’s largest awareness event for organ and tissue donation and demonstrate the gift of life that organ and tissue donation is. Competitors are living proof of the difference transplantation makes.
Importantly the Games promote awareness of organ and tissue donation and have resulted in a flow on effect of increased organ donation rates in each year the Games are held.
The Games are open to all ages. To be eligible, competitors must have received an organ, tissue or bone marrow transplant, be on dialysis or have cystic fibrosis or hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Living donors, donor families and supporters – both adults and juniors – are also eligible to participate in selected supporter events. Information on event eligibility can be found under Schedule.
The 15th Australian Transplant Games will be held in Western Sydney, NSW from 24 September, 2016 to 1 October, 2016 and offer over 21 events and cultural activities.
Athletes are expected from every State and Territory in Australia. A number of competitors from overseas will also attend the Games.
In addition to medals awarded in each sporting and recreational event, there is also the Victor Chang Memorial Shield, the Donor Family Shield, the Athlete of the Games Cup, the Clifford C Henderson Shields (1 male and 1 female), the Jack Nolan Encouragement Award, the Lorraine McLeod Women’s Tennis award, the DonateLife Shield, the International Shield, the David Cairns Memorial Juniors Shield and the Mark Cocks Memorial Juniors Shield.
These awards are presented to individuals who embody the spirit of the Games or States achieving the most medal points in each category.
