European Transplant Games 2022: Hundreds of athletes to compete in Oxford

Over 400 transplant recipients and dialysis patients from over 25 countries across Europe will be competing in sporting events as part of the European Transplant & Dialysis Games in Oxford this week.

It will include everything from football and volleyball to discus and petanque.

Team Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the largest team taking part - with 186 competitors from across the UK including 12 dialysis patients and 3 live donors.

The Games began yesterday (August 21) with an athlete parade around the iconic Sheldonian Theatre and an opening ceremony inside.

Events will take place across the week at venues including Radley College and Blenheim Palace.

Other highlights include a football tournament at Radley College, cycling road race and time trial in the grounds of Blenheim Palace and social events including a sing along screening of Mamma Mia, a party boat flotilla down Oxford's famed waterways and a gala ball to finish the week.

The European Transplant and Dialysis Games are being brought to the UK by charity Transplant Sport, an organisation raising awareness of the life-saving benefits of organ donation and the importance of staying active post-transplant.

Dr Paul Harden, Chair of Trustees for Transplant Sport, said: "We are so proud to be able to host the European Transplant and Dialysis Games in the UK for the first time ever, and in Oxford which will be a spectacular setting.

"We can't wait to welcome all the athletes and supporters to Oxford in just two weeks for the biggest celebration after two years of shielding!"

• Dr Paul Harden, Chair of Trustees for Transplant Sport

The Games is being organised by the team from the Oxford Transplant Centre at Churchill Hospital.

Approximately 300 patients from across the south and midlands receive life-saving transplant procedures at the centre each year. It is the largest pancreas transplant centre in Europe and one of only two centres in the UK transplanting small bowels.

The European Transplant and Dialysis Games were first staged in Athens in 2000 and subsequently has been held bi-anneal in 9 different European countries.

The event is similar to the Paralympics Games or Invictus Games.

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One of the athletes who competed today was Zoe Buchanan who kicked off her games with gold in the Badminton. Zoe received a kidney transplant from her mum in 2010, before her transplant she played badminton at a high level.

She said that the Transplant Games gave her the opportunity to keep playing "these games were my way to showcase some of my talent as we cannot complete at Olympic level.

• Badminton player Zoe Buchanan

"I was training with commonwealth squads pre-transplant in my early teen, but due to the medication that I am on, I am not able to complete with them anymore so this is where I play.

"At the moment things are quite difficult for me personally.

"I am not very well myself and i do need another kidney transplant, I have about 10% function so we are ticking on through.

"So games like this is just amazing to have and the awareness of the organ donor register and how amazing it is to get a second chance to be able to showcase this."