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Transplant Team Ireland

Countdown to World Transplant Games - Sweden 2011   2011-6-17 17:00:00 GMT+00:00

Home arrow The News arrow Games Latest arrow Great wins for John & Tony bring final medals tally to 22
Great wins for John & Tony bring final medals tally to 22 PDF Print E-mail
Written by Colin White   
Saturday, 29 August 2009
Ireland’s final medal tally reached 22 on the last day of competition at the 17th World Transplant Games in Gold Coast, Australia, today (SATURDAY) – and, to crown a memorable week, the last two medals won were both gold.
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Tony - gold medal winner today

Co. Limerick man John Loftus, who won the 100m gold on his 62nd birthday yesterday (FRIDAY), completed a marvellous double by capturing the 200m title.
Tony Gartland, from Hacketstown, Co. Wicklow, added a third medal to his collection when he won the 5km walk title. He had earlier won silver medals in the 1500m and 5k road race.

The 19-strong team, ranging in age from 22 to 64, travelled Down Under with 13 new kidneys, five new livers and one new kidney-pancreas.
 “It has been a wonderful games for our team,” said team manager Colin White. “Everyone competed with great enthusiasm, and embodied the key message of these Games – the value of organ donation.
“My admiration for these athletes knows no bounds. Every one of them has come through difficult times in their lives. They have seen dark days.

“That’s why it is so uplifting to see the genuine passion they have for competing in these Games and for representing their country. They know the true meaning of the phrase ‘the gift of life’ and they live it every day.”
In surging to his 200m victory, John Loftus, Clarina, Co. Limerick, defeated reigning World champion Mick Foster from the UK. “It was my first time to run a 200m competitively, and I was delighted with my time of 31.95 seconds. I held off Mick by just half a second,” said John.

“He is a true sportsman. He congratulated me wholeheartedly, and I expect our paths may cross again next year when Ireland hosts the European Transplant & Dialysis Games.”
“Every day, the athletes remember their donors, and each performance, let alone victory, is a way of saying thank you to the donors who gave them the gift of life,” said team manager Colin White.

A special website has been built – www.transplantteamireland.com – where supporters can follow the team’s progress. For an organ donor card FREETEXT the word ‘DONOR’ to 50050.
 
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