The call that will inevitably change Peter Heffernan�s life could come at any time. But in the meantime the Skerries man, who has been awaiting a kidney transplant for over two years, will travel to Germany to compete at the European Transplant and Dialysis Games.

The father of two will travel will a team of 24 Irish athletes, all of whom have had transplants or are on dialysis, for the Games in Wurzburg, in a bid to promote the importance of organ donation and the idea of healthy living through sport.

The civil engineer has been on peritoneal dialysis since May, 2007. "I knew it was coming but it was still a shock," said Peter of the dialysis.

"The average waiting time for a transplant is three years and I am always hopeful. After a year you wonder when or if it will happen but you have to get on with it. When the call comes, it comes."

Healthy living and staying active is a hugely important part of preparing the body for transplant as the dialysis patients have to maintain a healthy weight prior to transplantation. Peter�s forte is swimming and he will compete in the 50m and 100m breast stroke and the 50m, 100m and 400m freestyle at the European Games.

"The sport is exhilarating and it spurs me on," said Peter, who added that the experience of training with the those have had transplants is a huge boost. In a bid to keep his fitness at optimum levels Peter even took on the Dublin City Marathon last year.

"It took me seven and a half hours but the occasion itself is phenomenal," he said.

Peter�s spent eight years as a health and safety manager and has just recently set up his own company �Safety Engineering and Environmental Construction� and he is grateful that he is healthy enough to do this. "I am incredibly lucky that I am able to do it. I am really looking forward to the games now," said Peter who has competed in two National Transplant & Dialysis Games to date.

"I look with optimism to when the day comes that I get the transplant. Nine times out of ten it works," said Peter who added that he has noticed the change in friends who have had successful transplants.

"The number of people needing kidneys has risen and many people need a second transplantation in their lifetime yet the number of organ donations has remained static. The main thing is to make people aware of donation. It is a hard thing to think about and we know that some poor family are suffering a loss," he said.

Peter�s wife Patricia and his sons Cian and Peacse will cheer him on from home.

Ireland will host the 6th European Transplant and Dialysis Games in 2010.

Log onto www.transplantteamireland.com to follow the team�s progress. For Organ Donor Cards freetext the word DONOR to 50050 or visit the Irish Kidney Association website www.ika.ie.