I made an altruistic donation of one of my kidneys on the 10^th July 2019. In fact, I got the idea to do it from my wife. She was keen to do it but failed one her preliminary tests. She’s subsequently retaken and passed the test but spends a lot of time now caring for her elderly parents and is not in a position to donate a kidney. Perhaps she’ll do this at some in the future.

I’ve always been a keen runner. I’ve run around 25 marathons. In around 2010 I switched to doing Ironmans of which I’ve completed three. When I was considering donating a kidney I was concerned about the affect it would have on my ability to compete at Ironmans. I tried to research this but didn’t find much supporting information. I certainly didn’t come across this site. I couldn’t find anything to suggest it would have a detrimental effect so went ahead with the transplant.

Since my operation I’ve had no ill effects. I had a couple of weeks rest and returned to running and cycling very gently. Since then in more recent years, I’ve switched to ultra running. I’ve now run one 100 mile race (the SDW100 in the UK) and plan another (the NDW100 in the UK) in a few weeks’ time.  I’ve also done a series of 50 mile races. I failed to complete a 100 mile race about a month ago because it was very hot (the hottest day of the year here in the UK). I was quite concerned about the effects that might have on my remaining kidney but I had my yearly check-up last week and was told my kidney was functioning very well.

I’ve never been in a hurry to tell people that I’ve donated a kidney. I’ve not told my mother or brothers, colleagues and very few friends. I did it to save a life but didn’t need or want to have people telling me that they thought it was a good thing to do. I’ve never heard from the recipient of my kidney but I’ve been told that she’s doing well. That’s all I want to know.

I’m keen to join this site to learn what I should do to protect my kidney whilst taking part in ultras. Since my donation, I’ve switched to a plant based diet.

If you’re considering donating a kidney then I’d recommend it. However, it’s not a decision you should rush into. Take plenty of time to research it, there’s a lot of information out there. Understand how much time you’ll need to make available for all the checks they will carry out before your operation. Understand how long you’ll be in hospital and how much time you’ll need to take off before you return to work. It adds up to a lot of time, be sure your employer will support you through the process. I live in Godalming, England but my hospital is in Portsmouth, an hour and half’s train journey or one-hour drive. I need to be able to take a day off work for my yearly check-ups. I’m glad I’ve been able to do it. It gives me a lot of satisfaction to think that I’ve saved somebody’s life. 

**Brian wrote his story for us in July of 2023. We hope to post an update on how his races have gone since then!**