California Teams Bring Home Big Wins From the 2018 Transplant Games of America
Game on! This past week, Salt Lake City hosted the 2018 Transplant Games of America! This biennial competition boasted a gathering of over 40 teams with hundreds of transplant recipients and living donors. We were incredibly proud to have two teams representing the beautiful Golden State: Team NorCal and Team SoCal!
Pictured: Team SoCal wins the gold medal in the Volleyball competition.
All the athletes were given an opportunity to participate in a variety of events: 5K Run/Walk, Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Cornhole, Cycling, Darts, Golf, Racquetball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Texas Hold ‘em Poker, Trivia Challenge, Virtual Triathlon, Volleyball, Ballroom Dancing, Pickle Ball, Youth Olympiad, Track and Field, and Lyrics for Life.
Nearly 90 Californian athletes participated in over 20 competitions for the chance to win bronze, silver and gold medals. Together, Team NorCal and Team SoCal brought back home a whopping 208 medals, 93 of which were gold!
Pictured: Lloyd Tucker of Team SoCal in action during the 4x100m Team Relay.
“The Transplant Games are an amazing experience for the transplant community, and I am honored to help lead our team in Salt Lake City,” said Debbie Morgan, Team SoCal’s president and former Transplant Games athlete. “The emotion we share as we trade stories is unforgettable. From watching a 10-year-old stop short of the finish line during his race so that a younger boy on a walker could take home the bronze medal, to experiencing the whole stadium cheering on a woman as she slowly finished her race in last place, the Transplant Games of America provide memorable experiences that go beyond competing.”
For additional coverage on California’s presence at the Transplant Games, visit Donor Network West and OneLegacy’s Facebook pages.
And the Winner of the Transplant Games Team Cup Award is…
One of the many awards given out during the Transplant Games of America is the Team Cup Award. The Cup is awarded on the last day of the Games to the team of 15 or more organ recipients that won the most medals per person during the Games.
We are absolutely ecstatic to announce that Team NorCal won the Team Cup Award at the Transplant Games of America! Team NorCal went in with 37 athletes and walked away with 120 medals, a stunning feat! Congrats Team NorCal!
Pictured: Team NorCal receiving the Team Cup Award.
A New Guinness World Record Set!
As if all the medals weren’t enough, both teams also helped break a Guinness World Record: “Largest Amount of Solid Organ Recipients in a Single Place.” 540 people were in attendance to help set this new record, breaking the previous one organized in Turkey earlier this year. Kudos to all of those who participated and helped shine a spotlight on donation!
Pictured: Participants in the Guinness World Record-breaking attempt of the largest gathering of transplant recipients.
We want to thank all the organizers of the 2018 Transplant Games for running such a smooth operation in Salt Lake City and a thank you to Yes Utah! for being such welcoming hosts! We look forward to the next set of Games in 2020.
Congratulations to all the transplant recipients and living donors coming home with medals, you’ve made all of California proud! Join in the effort in supporting organ and tissue donation by signing up as a donor today!
