In 2009, at 247lbs, I was the heaviest I had ever been in my life and although exercise had been a part of my life in the past, it was never something I could quite get to stick. I was overweight and overwhelmed. I’m not even sure I realized it but I was waiting for … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Jen!
Hello KDA community! We are happy to announce that we have a web store open until midnight, December 6th! That is THIS Friday! We briefly had a web store open in July and it was SO fun to hear stories from the people that ordered merchandise. The clothing became a great conversation starter about donation! … Continue reading KDA Web Store is OPEN!
So, I guess it’s my turn to share my experience although, to be honest, I never thought it was my story to tell. This is why it may have come as a complete surprise to everyone that found out through other people posting on social media that I was donating a kidney to Genevieve, my … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Jeff!
The day I got the call saying I was a bone marrow match was one of the happiest days of my life. I thought it was my chance to really make my mark. I started the screening process and before long received a message saying that the procedure was canceled. I was devastated! My life-saving … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Shannon!
Hello KDA community! This year we successfully hosted our first Kidney Donor Athlete weekend back in July. We had a great turnout, made new connections, and had a lot of fun! And after much deliberation, we have an announcement for next year... KDA will be attending the 2020 Transplant Games of America in Meadowlands, New … Continue reading Update for 2020 – Save the Date!
For the bulk of my adult life, I worked hard at being inactive, however, it was really more of a will issue rather than anything else. At age 11, I became vegetarian and at age 31 vegan so overall I was a healthy eater – which is a stark contrast to being a healthy person. … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Rebecca!
KDA 1 year update - To have a platform like Kidney Donor Athletes to share my donation story has been another unexpected benefit of sharing my spare. As an endurance athlete, I learned through success and failure what it takes to continue to keep my body running at age 59 and beyond. But a year … Continue reading Kidney Donor Athlete Skip’s Race Report and (almost) Kidneyversary!
My son was diagnosed with Alport syndrome in the fall of 1999. This is a genetic condition characterized by kidney disease, hearing loss, and eye abnormalities. People with Alport syndrome experience progressive loss of kidney function. He asked if I would be willing to get tested (it was much less rigorous back then!) and we … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, John!
Before I had even thought about an organ donation, I was very active in endurance sports. As a career military officer, fitness is part of the job description. In addition to staying fit for work, I participated in Ultramarathons, long-distance cycling and mountain biking, orienteering, adventure racing, and kayaking. My military annual fitness test was … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Dave!
It’s taken the drive home today and a little perspective to put into words what went down this past weekend in Golden, British Columbia. I was committed to taking on a challenge in my 40th year and the Golden Ultra “Half Pint” turned out to be the perfect one. I initially thought I’d do a … Continue reading Race Report From Kidney Donor Athlete, Shawna!
