TWO Oxfordshire residents who had life-saving organ transplants are competing at the transplant ‘Olympics’.

Steve Whelan and Jill Edwards join hundreds of other competitors for the week-long World Transplant Games starting today in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Mr Whelan, 49, underwent a liver transplant in 2000 after contracting a water-born infection from a trip to the United States.

The Horspath resident will take part in the 5k run and 5k walking events, having won bronze for walking at the 2009 Australia games and competing in Thailand in 2007.

He said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be taking part.

“It is a great privilege and an honour to be part of it, but it would be impossible were it not for the generosity of donors.”

He added: “The journey from death bed to world final is an extraordinary one and I am very proud.”

He added: “I am going there with the view that I think I could win, but races are won and lost on the day.”

The games also raise awareness of the need for organ donors.

Mr Whelan said: “If I had not had the transplant that week, I would have died some days later.

“It was very, very close.”

Mrs Edwards, who received a heart transplant 20 years ago, will be competing for badminton and table tennis glory.

The 69-year-old Carterton resident won three gold medals in the 2007 Thailand games and a silver and bronze medal in the 2005 Canada games for the sports.

She said: “I’m very excited, but for me it is not about winning, it is about taking part and raising awareness for transplants.

“Before my transplant, I was gasping for breath every time I moved, and walking up stairs felt like climbing Everest.

“The transplant really was life saving and I think of it now as two lives – the old life before and the life since.”

She said: “I feel privileged to be able to take part in the games and it is all down to my donor. Someone extremely unselfish all those years ago gave me life.

“The games will be a real opportunity to show how well and fit you can be after an organ transplant, and hopefully that will persuade people to join the organ donor register.”

  • To become a donor, visit uktransplant.org.uk or call 0300 123 2323.