MORE than 400 athletes from 25 countries were welcomed to Oxford for the start of an European tournament for sportspeople who have benefitted from organ transplants.

For the next week, competitors, supporters and donors will join the European Transplant and Dialysis Games which celebrates its biggest event since the games last took place in Italy in 2018.

The games give transplant recipients the chance to compete, connect and socialise.

They were founded in 2000 and have taken place every two years in cities around the world, though were postponed due to the pandemic.

The event was launched yesterday with a parade of the athletes from across Europe at the Sheldonian Theatre, in Broad Street.

READ ALSO: How Quickways make roads safer for cyclists in Oxford

Host Susie Dent introduced Judit Berendt, the president of The European Transplant and Diaylsis Federation and Dr Paul Harden, chairman of hosts Transplant Sport.

Oxford Mail:

An original song was performed by Oxfordshire singer songwriter Adam Isaac, who is awaiting a kidney transplant.

A Ukrainian athlete said the Athletes' Oath.

After the opening ceremony, the party travelled by pleasure boat from Folly Bridge to Radley College which is providing the venue for many events as well as the athletes' village.

Tomorrow competition gets under way with darts and badminton singles at Radley College with tenpin bowling at Hollywood Bowl in Oxford.

A particular highlight of the Games will be the cycling at Blenheim Palace on Wednesday August 24 and Thursday 25.

Dr Paul Harden, chair of Transplant Sport, was instrumental in bringing the games to the UK for the first time ever.

Since 2003 he has built up a young adult transplant service in Oxford.

He said: “It’s been an incredibly tough couple of years for transplant recipients and dialysis patients in particular and many have experienced fear and isolation due to having to shield.

“We are so excited to be able to stage the European Transplant and Dialysis Games in 2022 and invite the transplant and dialysis community from all over Europe to come together in Oxford, reconnect socially and take part in sport to help keep them active, something which is so important post-transplant.

Oxford Mail:

"We are so grateful to the generosity of Radley College who are providing a Games athletes village and excellent sports facilities. Blenheim Palace have been tremendous. We just can’t wait to see some of the Games events take place in such a spectacular setting.”

READ ALSO: Woman charged with fraud offences in Headington

Andrew Ashton, Bursar at Radley College, said: “The work Transplant Sport has done to highlight the active and fulfilling lives that recipients can lead post-transplant is truly inspirational.

“As a school we have a role to play in helping educate people, both in our own community of students and staff and in the many communities we reach out to, in the value of the life sciences and the importance of organ donation."

And Heather Carter, operations director at Blenheim Palace, said organ donation is such an important topic.

"We're proud to be doing our bit to raise awareness and encourage the people of Oxfordshire and beyond to talk about the subject with their loved ones."

 

 

A message from our Editor

Thank you for reading this story and supporting the Oxford Mail.

If you like what we do please consider getting a subscription for the Oxford Mail and in return we’ll give you unrestricted access with less adverts across our website from the latest news, investigations, features, and sport.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok for more. 

You can also join the conversation in our Facebook groups: stay ahead of traffic alerts here, keep up to date with the latest from court here, share your favourite memories of Oxford here, get your daily dose of celebrity news here and take some time out with news that will make you smile. 

If you’ve got a story for our reporters, send us your news here. You can also list an event for free here.