I have been given the honour of being selected to represent GB&NI at the World Transplant Games 2023, Perth, Australia. This will be my 4th World Transplant, as all Transplant Athletes are self funding any help that you be able to provide no matter how big or small is greatly apricated as the estimated costs is £5,500.

If you know of any companies that would be able to sponsor me I am more than happy to advertise them on my kit and take part in any media coverage for this.

This is my story

7th July 1993, 18th December 1998, 11th February 2008

To most people these are just dates, a moment in time, but for me these are more than just dates, more than just moments in time. For me these are my restart dates, the moment the slow down button was lifted on my life. I won't say I got my life back as I was still living my life, after all life's for living, I was on reflection just doing it at a much slower pace, these dates are the dates of my kidney transplants.

My first was from my mum, a great match, live related with no dialysis, better known as the holy grail the one all kidney transplant patients would hope for, the one that should last. I kept my mums kidney for 2 1/2years, but in its short time with me I achieved so much, much more than I would of if it hadn't been for my kidney failure. My mums kidney helped me compete in two British Transplant Games and one World Transplant Games and become a double British Champion and a World Champion in my chosen sport of Volleyball.

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying kidney failure is wonderful because it isn't, it has presented me with some of the biggest challenges of my life, and more heart ache and distress for me and my family than anyone should have to deal with, but it's something I have and it's something that has been part of my life since I was 13, and it's something that will continue to be part of my life.

The next two dates 18th December 1998 and 11th February 2008, these dates special and close to my heart, for different reasons. You see these kidneys I received from the Transplant List, two families lost a Son, Husband, Father maybe even a Grand Father, I don't know am guessing. What I do know is my 1998 donor was named David and 2008 donor was named Graham. What I also know is that these families in moments of loss, sorrow and deep despair, had the grace and strength to agree to their loved ones organs being donated, to help me and people like me.

2009 I got to marry my best friend, my absolute rock, the man I love more than anything. We travelled the world together, made lots of memories and my health stayed relatively stable, little did we know what was to come!

In 2015 I was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, a blood cancer brought on by my anti rejection medication. I’m not going to sugar coat it, having chemo is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with. I thought I knew how to be ill, but cancer, this is a beast and being ill with cancer is a whole different ball game. After 6 rounds of RChop and 4 rounds of Methotrexate injected directly into my spine, absolutely nothing going to plan, days of not knowing wether I would live or die and if I did live would my kidney make it through. These thoughts occupied my mind, along with the darkest ones, that everyone would be better off without me, if I just stopped fighting and let it take me. Being so exhausted that it was a daily struggle just to get up, it turns out I didn’t need to worry about my kidney, it handled chemo like a champ and am pleased to say I was told I was in remission 2016, and discharged from care in 2021. But I’m still working on the emotional and mental trauma.

In 2015 I was supposed to be representing my country at the World Transplant Games in Argentina, I had to withdraw from these games because of cancer, I was devastated, the one thing I have learned about myself is I’m as strong as I am weak, and I really really don’t like to give in! I was selected again for the 2017 World Transplant Games which were held in Malaga, I was asked to lead the GB&NI Team out during the opening ceremony, how could I say no, it is one of my proudest moments and an honour I will never forget. 2019 saw me once again selected to represent my country, this time on home turf in Newcastle and Gateshead, there is something special about a home games. The World Transplant Games were cancelled in 2021, as the global pandemic took hold and we all did our best to stay safe in our homes. But my thoughts turned to 2023 and being fit enough to go for selection again and travel half way round the world to Australia, to once again show what organ donation can do, when the conversation is had and a family knows to say yes.2022 marks fourteen years with Graham, cold hard truth is I don’t know how long I have left with Graham, transplantation is a prevention not a cure, so I know dialysis is back on the cards in the near future. As always I give thanks to Graham and his family, to David and his family you are always in my heart, I remember you every year, and to every donor family out there you are amazing, they are not enough words to say how thankful we truly are.