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.
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.
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.Â
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!
“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!
Facebook Posts
💚 What does it take to give someone the gift of life—and then take on one of the Grand Canyon's toughest challenges? 🏜️💪
MEET THE CLIMBER: VICKI RHODES!
One kidney. One incredible gift. And another adventure ahead!
Vicki, one of our inspiring 2026 Rim to River to Rim climbers, calls Long Island, New York, home, where she stays busy raising two teenagers while pursuing her Paralegal Certification at Hofstra Law School. As if being a mom and a student weren't enough to keep her busy, she's adding a Grand Canyon adventure to the mix!
In 2023, Vicki made an extraordinary decision to donate one of her kidneys to her best friend's sister-in-law. Today, both Vicki and her recipient are doing great! đź’š
Now, she's taking on another challenge alongside fellow Kidney Donor Athletes, helping show the world that living kidney donation doesn't mean putting adventure on hold.
One kidney doesn't mean half a life. It means a whole lot of possibilities! đź’Ş
We're so excited to have Vicki joining us for this incredible journey!
Let's show Vicki some love as she takes on Rim to River to Rim! 🏜️💚
#KidneyDonorAthletes #RimToRiverToRim #LivingKidneyDonor #OneKidneyNoLimits #DonateLife
🏜️ MEET THE CLIMBER: KRISTIE SUE HATHAWAY! 💚
This evening, we're bringing you an American Ninja Warrior! 💪🥷
Meet Kristie Sue Hathaway, a two-time living organ donor who proves that donating an organ doesn't mean slowing down!
In 2021, Kristie donated a kidney to a complete stranger. That experience had such a profound impact on her life that she knew she wasn't done giving. In 2024, she donated a portion of her liver to another stranger!
And the adventures didn't stop there!
Kristie continues to run, cycle, hike, and has even taken up the sport of ninja since becoming a living donor! 🥷
Her story is a powerful reminder that life after donation can be just as active, adventurous, and fulfilling as ever.
And our favorite part? When asked if she would donate again, Kristie's answer was simple: "I would do it in a heartbeat." đź’š
Now she's taking on another adventure with Team KDA at the Grand Canyon for our 2026 Rim to River to Rim! 🏜️
Let's show Kristie some love as she continues proving that living donors are capable of extraordinary things!
#KidneyDonorAthletes #RimToRiverToRim #LivingOrganDonation #AmericanNinjaWarrior #DonateLife
🏜️ MEET CLIMBER: BETSY WATTIE 🏜️
One kidney. One incredible gift. And plenty of adventure ahead.
Betsy Wattie lives in Charleston, South Carolina, and donated a kidney to her oldest brother—a decision she says was an easy one. For Betsy, the surgery and recovery were a small price to pay for what came next: seeing the immediate and profound impact her donation had on her brother’s health.
She describes giving her brother a new lease on life as one of the most rewarding experiences of her own—a powerful reminder of what the gift of living donation can mean for both the recipient and the donor.
And Betsy certainly isn’t letting one kidney slow her down. Now she’s taking on another big adventure with Kidney Donor Athletes: Rim to River to Rim in the Grand Canyon!
We’re excited to have Betsy out there showing exactly what life after living donation can look like.
One kidney. Big adventures. Let’s go, Betsy! 💚🏜️
#KidneyDonorAthletes #RimToRiverToRim #LivingKidneyDonor #LivingDonation #OneKidney
Frequently asked questions
Do you still have questions after reading through our home page? We’ve got you covered! Check out our FAQÂ 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.
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?
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.Â
Meet the Donor Athletes
Explore more than 150 stories of kidney donor athletes!
Share your Story
Get involved with KDA by sharing your donation story!
Join a One Kidney Club
Build community with other living donors in your area.
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.
“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