07/01/08

The 14th World Transplant Games
19th - 27th July 2003
Nancy - France

The Opening Ceremony

The Games

Following the success of the opening ceremony on the Sunday, the competitions got under way on Monday with the cycling event, my mate Reg Chisholm from Scotland gave it his best shot but the opposition were on a different level.   I know how hard Reg had trained and although a little disappointed he will come back next time a much stronger and wiser competitor.

The athletics events were not until the end of the week, with qualification and heats on the Friday and the finals on the Saturday.   So I forgot all about 100m running and long jumps and concentrated solely on my golf.

Accompanied by Ian Hillier, a 10 handicap golfer and a smashing lad who is good company, Kate Milne a lovely Scottish lady and fine golfer from Kilspindie near Edinburgh (16 hcp) and her son Rory who had travelled over with his young family to support his mum at the games we set off for the course on the Monday morning. 

I must give full credit to the French organisers, the course - Golf de Nancy-Pulnoy was quite magnificent and the staff at the course could not have been more helpful.   On our arrival, for what was a practice round, we were given the star treatment and courtesy of the course.

The course at 5998 metres (6500 yards to me and you) was a par 72 and straddled the side of a mountain.   The temperature in France was going off the scales and was a minimum 100f degrees - oh alright it was 38c degrees in the modern vernacular - whichever way you measure it, it was HOT.    Or to put it another way "il fait tres chaud".

My wife Christine who had travelled with me to act as my caddy could not possibly pull my clubs and all my gear round this course, let alone in this heat.   The golf club officials were very good and I booked a caddy for the main event on Wednesday (more later).

We played  a friendly 4ball stableford competition between us and I scored a creditable 32 points, more importantly I had a good look around.

I played another 9 holes on the Tuesday, again with Ian and this time we were joined by Helen Philpott, who is comfortably the best lady golfer in the world and plays off 8 handicap.   I am sure Helen won't mind me saying that she has 'been around a bit'.   She was born in South Africa and  represented them at a previous games (she won).   Helen then moved to Australia and won a Gold medal for the Aussies before coming to the UK.

Helen who had a kidney transplant is Community Fundraising Manager for The National Kidney Research Fund in England and has a golf professional as her partner, she is a bubbly character and good fun to have around as well as being a fantastic golfer.

Wednesday 23rd July 2003

Not only was today the day of the Golf Championships it was also the 4th anniversary for my heart transplant.   It hardly seems possible what can be achieved, but with a lot of hard work and dedication I was very proud as I waited to hit my tee shot at the first (photo).  

I often think about the young man who was my donor and today was no exception - my good fortune is another family's grief - and I shall always remember them.
 

I played really well over the first 9 holes and had only dropped 6 shots with the "easier" back 9 to come.  Holes 10 - 13 were negotiated with an ugly 7 in there but I was still OK.   I could come back and I played the last few holes well in practice.

OH CALAMITY - I took a 9 at the 14th.   No excuses I duffed up my drive and made a complete 'Henry Halls' of the hole.   No way back this time even though I only dropped 3 shots over the last 4 holes.  

A nett 77, no matter how difficult the course and how hot the weather was not going to get me into the top 3.   It was good enough for 6th place though and really I was not too disappointed when the medals were handed out.   An Irishman, Gary Campbell, playing off a handicap of 2 went round in nett par and another Irish guy off 6 shot a gross 79.   Third place went to Sean Opren an Englishman who scored an excellent 85 (11 handicap).

So a top 6 finish in a 'Major Championship' is OK, isn't it?

There was no chance at all of winning anything in the nett competition because golfers from the far eastern countries turn up with handicaps of 33 and shoot mid 60's nett - which makes a complete mockery of the event.   I have Emailed the organisers about this and how ridiculous it is and have suggested that there should be 2 or 3 categories of golfer.

1. 10 handicaps and under

2. 18 handicaps and under

3. 19 handicaps and over

This system works perfectly well in most golf clubs every weekend in the 'monthly medal' and should be adopted at the next World Games.   For the Irish guy who went round in 74 gross to be beaten by a man playing off a 33 handicap is utterly ridiculous.   

I would be interested in your comments and I will forward them to the Canadian organising committee.

 I have had a nice reply back and the matter is to be discussed at their next meeting - QED!

I must tell you about Helen, she played magnificently and went round in 75 gross/ 67 nett and she won the Gold Medal in both events by miles.   Her score was only bettered by the 2 handicap Irishman, Gary Campbell.

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On  arrival back at our hotel we were given the tragic news about the death of one of our team mates.

Alan Ayre, who came from Teesside and was only 44 years old, collapsed on the badminton court whilst competing and suffered a fatal heart attack.   Alan was a giant of a man and was liked and respected  not only by his team mates in the British squad but also by the majority of the other nations at the games.

He was such an imposing figure, I think he was 6ft 6in, he carried our flag into the arena at the last World Games in Kobe - Japan and the Union Jack was never held aloft by a nicer man.   He was a multiple gold medal winner at British and World Games at badminton and volley ball and I have since found out that he was good enough to be considered for selection for the British archery team at the Olympic Games.

Alan gave a lot to transplant sport and served on the TSAGB committee and organised national events at badminton and volleyball.   He leaves a wife and two children behind and will be missed by all who knew him.

The USA and French sent delegations to our team hotel and offered their sympathies and we held a memorial service in the hotel the morning after.   All of the competing nations were very kind and we observed 2 minutes silence on the track for Alan on the Saturday.  

The winner of the Gold Medal in the badminton event (which Alan would probably have won) was overcome with grief and subsequently gave the Gold Medal to Alan's family - a wonderful gesture which encapsulates everything that the transplant games represent.

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Thursday 24th July 2003

I went to the athletics stadium for a practice session today.   I generally had a good warm up and familiarised myself with the surroundings.   My track events are the 100m and long jump.

I had been selected for the 4 x 100m relay squad which was a great honour and I was shown how to exchange the baton correctly and when to set off etc.   I also tried to mark my run up for the long jump, but there were 2 pits and the one which was allocated for practice was downwind and I decided there would be no point measuring a run up, as, come the competition the pit I would be jumping into would be into the wind.   All very technical stuff I am sure you will agree.  

Friday 25th July 2003

Although I had little or no chance in the 100m, I got to the stadium bright and early so that I could warm up correctly.   As I am 48 years old and was classed as a veteran at the time of selection, the age categories have changed.   I am now classed as a super senior which means I must compete against athletes aged 40 - 49.   If I could somehow qualify for the final that would be fantastic, failing that a personal best was all I could aim for.

There were 40 entrants in the 100m and 7 heats.   Qualification for the final was to be based on times alone, regardless of position in the heats - fair enough.   My best ever time in the UK and Europe was 14.2 seconds but in Japan in 2001 I ran 13.9secs and came second (apparently times are faster due to the climate in Japan).   I was also in the 45+ age group (veteran category).

Not to worry I had trained and was very philosophical about it all and was all pumped up.   There was a very strong head wind into which we were running so conditions were very tough.

I came second in my heat to the guy from Chile, who was to win the silver medal - my time a very creditable 14.1secs.   Apparently the wind was measured and approx 0.3secs could be deducted to give a comparable time without any wind.   So I ran 13.8 secs. and failed to qualify for the final, I was still chuffed with my performance.

in the final the winning time was 12.3 I think, which is excellent.   I must tell you about the Spaniard in the category below me (senior) he is in his early thirties and is a former athlete who has had a kidney transplant, he won the 100m in 11seconds, he won the long jump with a leap of 6.99 metres and then jogged over to the start of the 200m and won gold again in under 22 seconds.  Is that fantastic or what?

My next event was as lead off man in the 4 x 100m heats.   My team mates were Carl Whitaker who is legendary in transplant sprinting, Brian (N.I) a very fast sub 13 sec sprinter and Harawinder Athwal (Ami) who is another excellent sprinter.   We qualified comfortably as the second fastest team (Australia were quicker, just) next were Spain and then Canada.

Saturday 26th July 2003

Again I arrived at the stadium in plenty of time to do my warm up routine.   To do it properly so that my body is in tune with my brain takes the best part of 1 hour.   I could not have prepared myself better.

My long jump competition followed the men's senior event.   Brian, our 4th leg man in the relay squad broke down with a torn hamstring in his long jump and had to pull out of the relay.   George who had practiced with us yesterday would now run the first leg and hand over to me as first change.   Carl would run the last leg and he kindly told me that because I was a good runner I was to run the crucial second leg down the back straight.

Anyway more about the relay later - I had a long jump competition to do.   Again because of the age factor I realistically was looking for a personal best, which is 4.46metres, and that should ensure me 4th place which would be very creditable.

As I suspected we were jumping directly into the same head wind as in yesterday's 100m so my run up was not done properly but I thought I could just about get away with it.   5 NO JUMPS later and I was in despair.   My groin was very painful and I could barely walk but I was determined to put in a jump that would be measured.   I ran at 3/4 pace to the board and leapt like a kipper into the sand - just.   3.99meters and last place, I got an ironic  round of applause from the crowd and I gave them a courteous bow .

Even if I had jumped a 'pb' I could not have got anywhere near the first 3 as they all recorded jumps of over 5 metres.   My second 'jump' which barely marked the plasticine at take off ( a bit of a harsh decision I thought) would have measured 4.7 meters at least and would have given me 4th place and immense satisfaction, but such is sport eh?

I limped away from the long jump area a little crestfallen and completely knackered, if Brian had not been injured I would definitely have pulled out of the relay.   I jogged around and got loose again and had my mind in competitive mode again and was ready to give the relay everything I had as I knew we were capable of winning a silver medal and who knows the Aussies might drop the baton!

The race got under way and as George got near my marker I took off waiting for the shout of "HAND", which was my cue to collect the baton without breaking my stride pattern, I had reached the end of the change-over lane and I did not have the baton - OH DEAR!   I had to run on the spot for what seemed like a couple of seconds and when I got the baton I ran as fast as I have ever ran, but it was all in vain, I had given Ami and  Carl too much to do.   Despite their best efforts we came a close 4th but alas I was not going to win a medal at the Games this time around.   Sorry guys "mea culpa".

Overall these World transplant games were a fantastic experience and the French organisation and hospitality could not be bettered.   The weather, if anything was too hot but hey who's complaining?  

Next time in Canada 2005 I will be 50 years old and will be a veteran once again and hopefully I will be competitive again in the running and jumping events - if I am well enough and fit enough - and selected of course.