British Transplant Games 2010 - Sunday

Early morning - no time for breakfast! Off to the University of Bath for a day of athletics - the British Transplant Games.




The weather forcast was rain and rain...but WOW....it was sunny!!



Earlier this year the Bath Chronicle published an article about me and the family, particularly the link between athletics officiating and being a transplantee. So today was my turn to show what I was made of, and be one of the timekeepers.


What makes this event - the Transplant Games - so very special, is the mixture of ages and abilities. There are some very competitive and competent athletes, and there are so many more fun loving, have a go, fabulous transplantees - from walking age to "150"!!

The two pictures above show a member of the King's Transplant Team (in the lead).

The children's hospital teams were simply, a delight. These gorgeous little children from Papworth, King's, Great Ormond Street, Guys, Bristol Royal, Plymouth, Edinburgh - and so many other wonderful life saving units - were just inspirational.

Pudsey Bear is always a part of the Games, and the little ones just swarmed round him/her!! On the Saturday I met a family from Kingston. I asked who had had the transplant because they all looked so well, and the little girl aged about 4 or 5 said she had. She had needed a kidney but would not have lived had she had to wait on the donor list. She was however very lucky. Both her parents were compatible - and her dad donated one of his kidney's to his daughter. How lovely is that?

Have you ever been somewhere where all you have done is smile all day? Because that is exactly what I did. Just watching everyone trying so hard; marvelling at some of the speeds; and just loving the smiles on everyones faces.

There were only 3 timekeepers including me, but the atmosphere was very relaxed and fun. The longest track race was just 1500m but the morning was very intense with race after race of sprint heats and 800m.

There were even 20m sprints for the under 5s. The picture below is the crowd of people allowed on the track to encourage these little athletes. One little girl ran in a wheeled frame, others with feeder tubes in - can you imagine the cheers??

The day of athletics finished with relay finals of which the King's Team had only managed to qualify into - but they did brilliantly and won Silver. Well done King's - all of you..

Next Stop Bath - British Transplant Games 2010 - Saturday

I'll come back to the Reunion soon - next stop Bath!!

Earlier this year, I was honoured to be featured in the Bath Chronicle. An article which linked transplantation with the sporting world; one of many similar articles published this year in the lead up to the British Transplant Games.

The city of Bath has hosted the Games a few times I am told, and I was invited to officiate as a timekeeper this year for the athletics.

What with Little N in Turkey Jul/Aug, and the Transplant Reunion, it has been akward this summer to fit in a family holiday - and of course, we can't forget our own waggy tailed Summer (our first dog and she is now only 13 months old). So it made sense to try and combine one of the events to a break away.

So on Friday my father and Sue headed south to (near) Bath to my Auntie and Uncle's home, and Little N and I headed to a hotel in Tormarton just north of the city and the other side of the M4 (ever tried booking a pet/family friendly accommodation at last minute in peak summer??!!)..



The Best Western Compass Inn, Tormarton












On Friday night we met up and dined in Chipping Sodbury, a very pretty town on the edge of the Cotswolds (lovely evening.

Saturday became my first ever visit to Bath. I can't believe I've never managed to visit before!? Little N & I hit the shops - of course, first stop Jack Wills and later met with Dad & Sue, and my Auntie (Denise).

The Donor Bus was in central Bath, and Little N wanted to sign up onto the Donor Register. Dad needed to update his card from the one he had help since the '80s to online registration (which everyone should do). Little N had wanted to sign up for years, but I wanted just as much, for her to make the move by herself. I left her to fill out the paperwork with Dad, whilst as a VIP (now that doesn't happen often!!) I signed a special book on the bus (and yes I do hold a donor card).





The Donor Bus pictured with supporters of the Donor Run







Stav, Alex and Summer arrived at Bath Spa Station early in the afternoon (easy journey from home via Reading), and we went our own way until the evening when we met up in Bath for the DONOR RUN.

Stav & I, Alex & Nicole, Dad, Sue & Denise all signed up to walk the 3k Fun Run together. Until Little N decided it was too easy and wanted to run the 5k with Stav. This event also incorporated the Transplant Games Mini Marathon (3 or 5k).





And of course, we couldn't miss someone else out...!!









Sue, Little N, Denise




















Sue, Stav, Little N














The "race" had to be delayed by 15 mins due to the number of late entrants so an extended warm up took place (I think everyone there will agree with "extended" being the operative word..)..





Sssssttttrreeeetttccchhhhhhh....

















Little N and Stav in group warm up. Dad (648) pictured behind (sunglasses, white hair!)...














Spotted taking sneaky photos....









Just as the race was starting, I spotted two familiar faces from home. Thank you Martin and Sheila for coming to say hello - and well done Martin for winning the siver medal in the Badminton. Fantastic!

Well, then the heavens just opened!! It rained and rained (hence no more photos) - but it was quite warm, so quite nice actually!

Thank you Stav, Little N, Alex, Summer, Dad, Sue and Denise for joining me (Denise is very good at getting people to sign up for the Donor register too..) and also to my cousin Sally, husband Brook and their 3 kiddies for coming along to support us too! It meant a lot.

Day after the first May Bank Holiday....

Today I received a rather lovely and elegant gift. The postman tried to post it through the letter box - which I have to say was rather humorous - as there was no way it would fit!!

Why? Because it was a full length umbrella!!



If you've ever been to Lytham in Lancashire before you'll know there are quite a few gift shops. Whilst visiting my mum in the Easter holidays, we'd spotted an umbrella, coloured pink with lilac spots, in the window of a shop opposite Stringers and I just loved the unusual shape.






Today, a pink and lilac spotted item didn't appear, but a far more elegant and way more gorgeous plain cream umbrella / parasol instead.. Thanks mum xxx

Rainy Days: "You should not be sad when it rains but raise an umbrella that points towards the sky and while walking with tip-tap steps through the puddle you image all the flowers blooming in the rain" - Lisbeth Dahl

CATCH UP

Today gave me a chance to at last catch up on some catching up I needed to catch up on...

TRANSPLANT GAMES 2010

Oh and I found out that having been interviewed for the "Bath Chronicle" a few weeks ago, that the article was now published:

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/important-join-donor-list/article-2084828-detail/article.html.

It's just a short piece on my being a timekeeper as a transplantee at the UK Transplant Games in Bath during August 2010 (I could possibly be unique in this aspect!!)..



Stav took this picture of me at last year's Transplant Games held at Warwick University in Coventry.





And me today ? Well the hair is still falling out, but I still know it will stop and I need my nails done.. Night!