Gloucestershire team celebrate third year at the British Transplant Games this August

Lucy Chandler

Lucy Chandler, 31, from Stroud, won a bronze medal in the 5k road race event in Nottingham in 2024. She has competed for the Gloucestershire team from the very start.

Lucy said: “I had my live donor kidney transplant from a close friend, on the 2nd of May 2019 at Churchill Hospital in Oxford aged 24. I have a condition called IgA Nephropathy which causes a loss of protein in your urine, which eventually leads to scarring and deterioration of function over time.

“I was diagnosed with this condition in my early teens. I started peritoneal dialysis in 2018 and later moved to haemodialysis until my transplant date.”

Working full-time in the NHS, she has had support throughout from her partner, family and friends. Competing in the British Transplant Games over the last three years has given Lucy the opportunity to meet other transplant recipients, living donors and donor families and share their experiences. She said:

“Getting to be a part of the British Transplant Games is an unforgettable experience, and I feel very fortunate enough to be in such good health to being able to compete. It's such an amazing event to be a part of, and to see thousands of people together in the same city celebrating being given a second chance of life, the atmosphere is indescribable. To be surrounded by a community of strong and resilient individuals that understand what you've been through/are going through is like no support system you'd ever normally encounter. I really can't recommend the Games enough for those who are on dialysis, post-transplant or who have been a live donor.

“Currently there are over 8500 people waiting for a transplant in the UK as there is a critical shortage. I would encourage those not already on the Organ Donor Register to sign up (you can save up to nine lives), or if you have considered live altruistic donation to look into this further on the NHS Organ Donation page - you could completely change someone's life.”

John Goodwin

Teammate John Goodwin also competed at this year’s British Transplant Games in Sheffield, winning three silver medals in the swimming events: 50m and 100m freestyle and 50m breaststroke. He narrowly missed out on a gold medal by one hundredth of a second and will be training for the Games in Birmingham next year.

John, 59, from Minchinhampton, returned to the Games after a 29-year gap. He formerly represented Great Britain at the World Transplant Games, firstly in Manchester and then in Sydney in 1997.

John said: “I had kidney failure in 1992. I presented at Gloucester, being referred by my GP. I saw a consultant and I thought I was just going for a routine appointment. Then within an hour or two when I got the blood results, I was sent straight up to the renal ward.

“I was on haemodialysis at Gloucester and was put on the transplant waiting list. The following year, I got my transplant at Churchill Hospital, Oxford.”

His first kidney lasted 24 years. When it began to fail he went on to peritoneal dialysis aided by the renal team at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. In 2018 he had his second transplant and this time the donor was John’s sister. She is a nurse who has worked at the Trust and in the Gloucestershire community throughout her career.

John added: “One of the best things about the Games is it raises awareness about organ donation. The medals are presented to you by donor families which is very special. I was glad that they were there and involved and could see how donations transform lives. Organ donation is a very altruistic thing to do.”

For more details about organ donation, visit Register your decision - NHS Organ Donation