|
|
|
|
| 18-09-07 | |
|
|
  |
The XVth World Transplant Games in Canada were my third world games and I enjoyed them as much as ever. As usual the weather was magnificent for the duration of the competition and if anything too hot. The organisation of the Games was first class and the accommodation at the University of Western Ontario excellent. On behalf of all athletes and supporters I would like to offer my thanks to the organisers of the Games. A special mention to Janet Brady and Heather Fisher, both of whom have received liver transplants, for their dedication to the Games over the past three or four years. The opening ceremony was held on the Sunday 17th July at the John Labbatt Centre. The man who gave the world the thirst quenching amber nectar should have been in the car park two hours before the ceremony was due to start with his beverage, because the athletes were left out in the near 100°C heat with no cover and were visibly flagging before any competition had begun. Once inside the 9,000 seat arena everything went smoothly. The parade of athletes is an inspiring sight and not a dry eye in the house can be found as the donor families march in at the rear and receive a standing ovation from the assembly. After the formal speeches and some light entertainment the Games were officially open. There were 54 teams and 1,600 competitors ready to take part in their respective competitions.
We were transported en masse to the Hoot n Annie
in the park for a barbeque of gargantuan proportions and a canny lass who
looked and sang like Shania Twain entertained us.
Monday July 18th A chance to play a practice round at the Forest City National Golf course. What an absolute delight. The course, despite some heavy overnight thunderstorms and flooding was magnificent. It measures 6,340 yards off the gold tees but we were advised to play from the 'easier' blue tee boxes at 5,942 yards. The course is ranked in the top 50 in Canada and has hosted many big professional tournaments, including the 1998 Canadian PGA Championships. Unfortunately, despite the use of GPS and buggies, play was dreadfully slow. This did not bode well for the competition round because there would be more players on the course come Thursday, I fear the worst! By the time we got back to campus it was dark and the cafeteria was closed. The staff on the campus were fantastic all through week and they managed to rustle up some food for we weary golfers and still managed a smile on their faces. Can anyone remember what it was like in France in 2003? Yes, so can I - no comparison! Tuesday July 19th I went down to the athletics track and put in some serious practice for the athletics events to come on Friday and Saturday. It was very hot ! Another practice round in late afternoon meant we were back quite late again, so I missed the preliminary rounds of the World Transplant Idol competition in the Alumni auditorium, which by all accounts was of a very high standard. Kaylee Davidson who is a member of the Freeman transplant team and was competing in Canada has a very talented younger sister. Becky Davidson made it through to the grand final which will take place in front of 2,000 people at the Gala Dinner on Saturday. The other two finalists were to be Liz Schick and young Aussie Jordyn Griffin.
Wednesday July 20th
Christine and I took on the persona of English tourists and headed off to
Niagara Falls for the day.
Thursday 21st July
I played in the company of Chaisri Satchachai from Thailand and the effervescent Dutchman Nico Zonnerveld. Nico would definitely have won a medal but for a journalist / photographer trying to do an interview with him at our 15th hole when he was not in prime position. In fact his ball was in a greenside copse and as a result of the distraction he took a card wrecking 9.
Congratulations to Raimo Juuti of Finland who won the Gold medal in my category with a fantastic round of 76 gross, Gary Campbell of Ireland took silver with 80 and Magnus Elovssun (Sweden) bronze with 85. John Barnes can consider himself very unlucky not to win a medal with his 86 gross (17hcp). Medal winners among the Brits were;
The format at the World Games for the golf is quite ridiculous and I said so two years ago. I even wrote to the organisers and told them what I thought, to no avail. All golfers appreciate that there are different abilities in the game, so a uniform method of grading is adopted throughout the world - it is called the handicap system. Why is it that when we come to the Word Games the system is changed and we are put into age categories? When players from Asia can turn up with handicaps of 33 and play off a max 25 and still come in with 63 and 64 net I don't want to play with them. Let them play in their own little world and leave proper handicapped golfers to play meaningful competition. As happens at every golf club (in the UK anyway) there are categories by handicap. They are:- Cat 1 = 0.1 - 5.4: Cat 2 = 5.5 - 12.4: Cat 3 = 12.5 - 20.4: Cat 4 = 20.5 - 28.4 Two or Three divisions would be OK at the World Games:- Div 1 = 18 and under: Div 2 = 19 - 28 max. OR Div 1 = 11 and under: Div 2 = 12 -18: Div 3 = 19 -28 max. The ultimate world champion golfer should always be based on the gross score. Put simply, the lowest score wins! Age is irrelevant in golf, ability is everything and there is a proper R&A system which is perfectly good enough for golfers to play to, day in day out, at home. The net competition becomes meaningless if players with 25 handicaps are winning with scores of 63 and 64. If anyone else has any thoughts on this I will pass them on to the organisers for 2007, which as we all know are in Thailand. Friday 22nd July With the golf finished I try and change into an athlete, my chosen sports are 100m and the long jump. I miss out on a bronze medal in the long jump by a kipper's eyelash, or put another way by 1cm. My jump of 4.27m was a little short of my best and if I am honest a little disappointed. In the 100m I qualify as the second fastest for tomorrow's sprint final (veteran category). As in the British Games my main rival is Barrie Laverick, he would have to fall over for me to beat him in the final and I would not wish that on anyone, especially as Barrie is a class act and very helpful to me with regard to training and warming up. I am not a defeatist, simply a realist and have prepared mentally to block out Barrie in the final and concentrate on running my own race in an attempt to claim the silver medal. Before I set off for the Games my ambition was to reach the final and see what happens. A silver medal would do nicely thank you. Saturday 23rd July
Mad dogs and the UK squad out in the midday sun!
The heat is just about unbearable in the stadium and I simply do not know how some of the athletes run the longer distances in the times that they do. They are truly world class. The system for the athletics is very good and we are allowed to warm up but must check in 30 minutes before the race and then are held in a holding area until we are called to the start line. The wait to be called seems to take forever and it is very nerve jangling. I try not to talk with any of my rivals as I am thinking about the race to come and run the race mentally three or four times. Eventually we are called and the walk to the start line gives me a chance to get loose again after my warm up, which seems ages ago. I am responsible for the starter telling us to stand up as I fidget about nervously on the line. Finally the race is on and I get off to a good start and feel relaxed as I run. As we get within 15 yards of the finish I can see Barrie ahead and I know no-one is challenging me. Unforgivably I ease up and take the silver medal but my time suffers. Fair enough I clock 13.9sec but if I had ran through the line could probably have got a personal best. Anyway who cares - if I had been offered the silver medal to stay at home I would have taken it. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement, I rushed to Barrie and gave him a hug (sorry about that) to say thank you for dragging me to my medal. I also competed for the 'B' team in the 4 x 100m relay but we did not make the final. I was definitely the senior member of the team as El Pomone, Martin Graham and Murray are all young enough to be receiving pocket money from me. Our time of 58 sec was quite reasonable saying we had never ran as a team or practiced baton changing. Good fun, thanks boys. A special well done to fellow 'Geordie' Martin Graham. Martin won a silver medal in the gruelling 5,000m.
Congratulations to all of my team mates who won medals at the Games and to those who didn't, congratulations also. In my book we are all winners. I would like to say well done to my fellow heart transplant buddies from the Freeman hospital who also were in the GB&NI Team.
Adrian, give us a smile, Woodcock won a gold medal in badminton as well as a
bronze in the tennis. Judith Burgess was thrilled to win gold in
the badminton doubles and somehow won bronze at table tennis too.
She reckons that she has not stopped laughing since returning home. Joan Whitney and Stuart Kaye also won bronze medals in the badminton and a special mention to Kaylee Davidson who was taking part in her first World Transplant Games as an adult. The Freeman hearts pictured with Barbara Harpham and Lynne Holt* (Kaylee and Stuart are missing). That reminds me, her sister Becky came second in the World Transplant Idol competition at the gala dinner. The winner was the young Aussie Jordyn Griffin who definitely 'had the music in her' she was brilliant. *Lynne Holt not only serves as assistant team manager, but in her real job is part of the team of transplant co-ordinators at the Freeman hospital in Newcastle. Summary of the XVth World Transplant Games I have had lots of requests for the final medal table and although I honestly believe transplant sport is about the taking part and not just the winning - here are the top 5 countries
Great Britain & Northern Ireland Team photo The Games can be summed up by one word - brilliant! The camaraderie among the athletes and supporters from all over the world is quite special. This was my third Games and I have made many friends, even Australians! It was good to see Murray, Terry and Kathryn as well as Jan from down under again, so soon after our trip there in October 2004, oh and Mark Cocks too. On the golf course there was Pieter and Nico, from the Netherlands, Krister from Finland, Terry from Ireland, the two Ian's from Wales and Franky from Scotland... just kidding. It was also a pleasure to meet the man I have nicknamed 'The Transplant Ambassador', namely Dan Kobyilka who has had two heart transplants and still competes with a smile on his face. I would like to say a special thank you to everyone who comes as a supporter. We have become one big happy family and in my view the supporters are one of the main reasons for that. The donor families who attend are easily the bravest people at the Games and on behalf of everyone who has received 'The Gift of Life' I can only say Thank You! It is not nearly enough, but is all I can say. They add a different dimension to the Games atmosphere that makes it very special.
I can sum up how I feel about the event by repeating, The World Transplant Games in 2007 are scheduled to take place in Chang Mai, Thailand. All being well I hope to see you there!
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This site was last updated 09/18/07
