Denver Resident Competes in World Transplant Games

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The World Transplant Games is the world’s largest organ donor awareness event, and Queensland, Australia was the home to the 17th World Transplant Games for eight days.

Denver resident and kidney transplant recipient Keith Ashby competed in the 5K run, 400 meter, and the 800 meter run. Keith competed at the U.S. Transplant Games last year in Pittsburgh and thought it would be a good experience to compete on a higher level. His transplant was May 4, 2006 at the University of Colorado Hospital, and his stepson was his donor. The interesting part of Keith’s story is that he is African American, and his stepson is Caucasian.

“I did very well and ran my best time in the 5K road race, which was 24 minutes," commented Ashby. "I was the first finisher for the American team, but the man who won it in my age group was from Italy and he finished in 17 minutes and 20 seconds. The experience compared to the U.S. Transplant Games does not even compare. To meet all of these wonderful athletes from all over the world who have had kidney, heart, lung, liver transplants is amazing. Also to meet other people who are on my team is truly worth the trip, because we do not get a chance to really get to know other people from other teams during the U.S. games. The best moment was the closing ceremonies—after you have met all of these wonderful people from all over the world having a shared bond of having received a transplanted organ.”

For more information, visit http://worldtransplantgames09.com/.

The National Kidney Foundation of Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming sponsored Ashby in his journey to Australia. To learn more, visit www.kidneycimw.org.