The Transplant Games - It's time to get back out there!

Transplant Australia is thrilled to announce that it has confirmed that the Australian Transplant Games will now be held from 19th April – 24th April 2022 in the beautiful city of Launceston, Tasmania.

Update 24th September 2021

The rescheduled Games is due to be held in Launceston, Tasmania, from April 19 to 24 next year. With the current COVID outbreak it has been difficult to predict whether these games will proceed as planned. However it is heartening to see that Tasmanians are embracing vaccination and we know the Government there is keen to open its borders to re-start the tourism industry. The Board of Transplant Australia continues to monitor the situation including state border closures, flight availability and whether it will be safe for transplant recipients to participate in those Games. At this stage the likelihood of the Games proceeding as planned is firming. We would suggest blocking out those dates in your diary and we will let you know as soon as we can to confirm the Games. At this stage anticipate a final decision late November.

ABOUT THE GAMES

Australia’s most inspirational sporting event, the Australian Transplant Games is held every two years. The Games provide living proof of the success of transplantation and encourage all Australians to discuss organ and tissue donation with their families.

Many transplant recipients use the Games as motivation to a greater end goal, setting various health and fitness targets along the way as they train.

The Australian Transplant Games is also the country’s largest awareness activity for organ and tissue donation. Transplant Australia boasts an enviable record of influencing public understanding of organ and tissue donation through the staging of the Australian Transplant Games.

The Australian Transplant Games were first held over three days in Melbourne in 1988 with 150 recipient competitors competing in Tennis (at the Kooyong courts), Golf, Table Tennis, Lawn Bowls and for children, Quoits.

Thereafter, the Australian Transplant Games have been held every two years in different cities in different states or territories of Australia.

The Games cover a multitude of sports and recreational activities, giving individuals the opportunity to try sports they have not participated in before.

The spirit of the Australian Transplant Games is to encourage individuals to be involved in a sporting competition, and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Many competitors previously may not have been able to engage in any sort of sporting activity due to their illness. The quality and determination of competitors has led to many participants being selected to represent Australia at the World Transplant Games.

Question and Answers 

Q: What is happening on Sunday 18th April 2021
A:  The official re-launch will be happening in Launceston announcing games are 1 year away.

Q:  Who is eligible to compete?
A:  To be eligible to compete in the Australian Transplant Games transplant participants must be among the following situations:

• Solid organ and tissue recipients
• Those with cystic fibrosis
• Those awaiting transplantation
• Dialysis patients
• Corneal recipients
• Bone marrow and stem cell recipients
• Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome patients
• Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome patients

Tissue donors are also eligible to compete in The Australian Transplant Games alongside solid organ donors as both lead to improving the quality of life and/or the saving the lives of Australians.

Opening The Australian Transplant Games for tissue recipients has been agreed to on the following basis:

Qualification – participants having undergone invasive treatment of a non-cosmetic nature requiring organs and/or tissues (excluding blood) donated by another person.

Q:  What dates will be the Games be held?
A:  Tuesday 19th April – 24th April 2022

Q:  What sports will be on offer?
A:   Athletics, Backgammon, Badminton, Chess, Cycling, Darts ,Golf, Lawn Bowls, Petanque, 5km Run, Scrabble, Sudoku, Swimming, Table Tennis, Ten Pin Bowling, Tennis, Volleyball

Q:   What is the purpose of the Games?
A:   To promote organ and tissue donation and to honour donors and their families.

• Register your donation decision on the Australian Organ Donor Register online at donatelife.gov.au and tell your loved ones.
• Organ and tissue donation is the ultimate gift – just one organ and tissue donor can transform the lives of ten or more people.
• The Australian Transplant Games are the country’s largest organ donation awareness event.
• There are currently more than 1,400 people on the waiting list.
• Donor families are Australian heroes saving the lives of fellow Aussies.

Q:  Where have the Games previously been held?
A:  Melbourne, Toowoomba, Bathurst, Shepparton, Adelaide, Ballarat, Wollongong, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Geelong, Belmont, Canberra, Newcastle, Melbourne, Western Sydney, Gold Coast.

Q:   What about the pandemic?
A:  Transplant Australia is confident that by 2022 vaccinations for COVID-19 will have been rolled out throughout Australia and confidence in travelling will have returned

Q:   Who is supporting the Games?
A: Tasmania Government through Events Tasmania, City of Launceston, Sports Australia, Donatelife and the Organ & Tissue Authority

Q:  When will registration open?
A:   November 2021

About Transplant Australia?

Transplant Australia is the national charity for organ donation and transplantation, is a DonateLife Partner and is recognized by Sport Australia as a National Sporting Organisation with a Disability.