A man whose life was saved by a new liver is heading to Thailand to compete in the World Transplant Games.

Horspath resident Steve Whelan was facing death after picking up a rare infection in South America.

He suffered jaundice and his life was at risk until an emergency operation saved him.

A donor had given him the gift of life - which Mr Whelan is living to the full with his pursuit of a gold medal at the games in Bangkok later this month.

Mr Whelan, a personal development coach, was 39 when he returned home from a tour of Peru, Bolivia and Chile.

He said: "I went on holiday to South America and I came home, but unbeknown to me I had picked up a water-borne infection.

"It destroyed my liver within months. It was a rare condition. I was on a very close trajectory to death."

He added: "It was not something that affected me suddenly.

"I felt fine coming home, then I felt like I had a bug.

"After a week it had not shifted and I phoned the doctors, but they said not to worry.

"Some days later I started suffering from jaundice and after that I was put in hospital.

"The next evening I was whisked off to Birmingham for an emergency transplant."

Mr Whelan, now 46, rebuilt his body and is now fit enough to compete in the five-kilometre walk and five-kilometre run events at the games, which begin on Saturday, August 25.

More than 1,000 competitors from 55 countries will compete and Mr Whelan is in good form, having won bronze in the five-kilometre walk at the British Transplant Games in Edinburgh last month.

Mr Whelan will join Middle Barton man Grant Cawte, 33, a bone marrow transplant recipient competing in badminton.

He and another 125 British athletes aim to retain the overall title from the last games in Canada in 2005.

Mr Whelan said: "At the moment I'm in good working order.

"The ultimate highlight would be winning these events."

Mr Whelan's life was saved by the liver of a man who collapsed while playing football.

He added: "It has given me my life and health back - which is a rare gift for anyone to receive.

"Statistically, anyone in Oxford or the UK is far more likely to require a transplant than be an organ donor.

"It's in everyone's interest to become part of the organ donor register and to let their family know their intentions should anything happen."