COMMUNITY /// HEALTH /// EDUCATION

LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCES

Join the Living Donor Games!

In a 2023 survey, 73% of respondents felt that donating a kidney would negatively affect their health. The Donor Games refutes this widely held misconception by showcasing the impressive health and fitness of kidney and liver donors from around the country.

Sign up for the donor games here

KDA Mimi Mahon participating at Donor Games. Bench press competition.

With over 90,000 Americans waiting for a kidney, your donation can be the difference between life and death, offering a chance at a longer, healthier life for the recipient. Living kidney donation is a low-risk procedure, and 95% of donors say they would do it again because the emotional reward of saving a life is unparalleled. Donors often experience an enhanced sense of well-being, with improved quality of life and psychosocial health. Most healthy people can donate and if you qualify, you’ll be giving the ultimate gift: a life-saving kidney with lasting impact.

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Mission

The mission of Kidney Donor Athletes is to promote the gift of life through living kidney donation among active individuals and athletes by building a community that inspires, supports, and educates people about the experience of kidney donation.

Vision

We envision a world where there are enough living donors to meet the needs of all who require a life-saving kidney.

Values

COMMUNITY
KDA builds a community where donors and potential donors are welcomed, celebrated, and valued for their individuality, commitment to helping others, and passion for living an active, healthy life.

HEALTH

KDA values the individual and collective well-being of donors and those in need of donation, and supports the ongoing health journeys of our community members.

EDUCATION

KDA amplifies the voices of donors in sharing first-hand experiences, and partners with medical and research experts as we advocate for kidney donation.

Programs

Kidney Donor Athletes is proud to create spaces, events, and opportunities that support and celebrate living kidney donors.

Our Champions program began in 2019 after the impact of donor and aspiring donor meetings showed to be deeply meaningful.

The First Event Back program was an aspirational idea formed in KDA’s first Board of Directors in 2020 and came into existence in late 2023. It’s our way of supporting you in your first event back after donation!

Learn more about our programs

“Something that’s important to all of us is to normalize kidney donation. We’re not heroes, we’re normal people. We lead normal lives.” ~ Patty Graham, living donor

Events

We host events to demonstrate that living organ donors can accomplish any physical challenge that could be achieved by a person with two kidneys. We climb mountains and volcanoes, and trek through the Grand Canyon as a group. We also host movie screenings, have KDA Family Gatherings, and participate in the Donor Games. We create experiences for all kinds of living donors and would love for you to participate!

Lear more about our events

Frequently asked questions

Do you still have questions after reading through our home page? We’ve got you covered! Check out our FAQ to read answers to the most common questions we receive. If you still have questions after that, you can reach out through our Contact page.

Find Answers to common questions in our FAQ

Get Involved

We hope that by visiting our website, you’re feeling inspired! Want to take it further by getting more involved through sharing your story, attending an event, serving on a committee, or even applying to our Board of Directors?

Explore ways to get involved with KDA

I love being a part of KDA because it connects me with a community of like-minded people who truly understand my journey. Being surrounded by other athletes inspires me every day, and I’m passionate about helping spread awareness to even more people around the world.

Mannie Zubia

Meet the Donor Athletes

Explore more than 150 stories of kidney donor athletes!

Athlete Archive

Share your Story

Get involved with KDA by sharing your donation story!

Get Started

Join a One Kidney Club

Build community with other living donors in your area.

Find a Local Club

Being a part of the KDA community gave me the opportunity to show that a person of color and living kidney donor, while being a plus-sized athlete, can still live a healthy, athletic lifestyle. It is very important to display this, and it is one of the reasons why I started Multicultural Miracle Donor Foundation, to advocate and bring awareness.

Trish Phillips

“The KDA community is a mash-up of every kind of athlete out there, and we’re all here to rally around you. It makes no difference if you walk three times a week around the neighborhood, or if you’ve climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. We’re all just people. People who have saved lives and want to support others who are also passionate about saving lives and making the world a better place.” ~ Tracey Hulick, Founder