Name: Anna
Location: Mississippi
Donation date: June 2019
Age at donation: 51
Categories of exercise before donation: Hiking, cycling, weight lifting, kayaking
What was your activity level like before donation?
I was very active before donating. Although my primary job was computer-based, I also worked part-time as a personal trainer because I had become so intensely interested in strength training after being primarily a cyclist for many years. My strength training journey had already taken me deep into a kettlebell, barbell, and bodyweight strength practice, and also to instructor certification through an organization called StrongFirst.
How would you describe your recovery post-donation?
I really couldn’t have asked for a better recovery. I took it very easy the first three weeks, with just walking, and LOTS of rest. This was important both physically and mentally. I felt like I had a lot to process. After that I eased back into normal life and started going to the gym again, although I didn’t lift any weights within the six-week restriction I had been given. I just worked on movement, balance, and breathing.
Describe your journey back to fitness after recovering.
At the six weeks post-surgery milestone, I slowly started back with weights and worked my way back to strength. I used a linear progression and just did a simple program three times per week, adding weight each time and doing the same reps and sets of barbell squat, bench press, overhead press, and deadlift. This worked incredibly well and got me back to a 300 pound deadlift at four months post-op which was basically my pre-surgery strength. I also got back to riding my bike, starting with an easy 20 mile ride five weeks after surgery, and working my way up to a “metric century” (62 miles) at three months. These two post-surgery milestones made me feel like I was truly back to previous fitness and could do anything I wanted to do from that point forward. So, I started the sport of weightlifting! This involves a barbell “snatch” and “clean & jerk” which are very challenging movements. I trained for one year, then trained and competed for another four years as a Masters Weightlifter, winning a gold medal in my age group / weight class at USA Weightlifting National Championships in April 2025. I’ve also continued cycling and recently rode across the state of Iowa with the Air Force Cycling Team at RAGBRAI, Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa.
Were there unexpected hurdles along the way?
The donation journey was challenging. In hindsight, it went smoothly. But it didn’t exactly feel like it at the time. I found the waiting very difficult– waiting for the next test result, scheduled event, confirmation, or other news. Now, I feel like this has become a superpower of mine. I am very comfortable with waiting and I have learned to savor every step along any long and challenging path. It was my recipient, Dustin, who taught me to be patient… truly patient. Because he exemplified patience throughout the process. As much as he had on the line, I realized that if he could be patient, I certainly could as well.
Do you feel different now than when you did pre-surgery?
Mostly I feel like the same person, but donation has brought me so many gifts. One is patience, as I described. Another is a more healthy view of my own health. I no longer try to “optimize” everything. I just live life and if health markers are good, they’re good — no need to make them “even better”. One of the best gifts has been all the wonderful people I’ve met in the donor world. Through Kidney Donor Athletes, I met my friends Diane Mills, Becky Bussey, and Rebekah Thomas. Sponsored by KDA, the four of us rode 444 miles in 4 day son our bikes along the Natchez Trace Parkway from Nashville, TN to Natchez, MS in 2024. I’ve also competed in the National Kidney Registry’s Donor Games Championships in 2022 and 2023, and the Transplant Games in Birmingham, AL in 2024. Finally, I have gained a wonderful kidney-family, and it makes me very happy to see them living without the burden of dialysis.
Do you take precautions now that you didn’t before?
I mostly avoid ibuprofen, and I’m a lot more hesitant about taking supplements in general. I trust my own body more than I trust some advertisement or influencer pushing something “healthy.” Other than that, my lifestyle is unchanged.
What advice would you give someone considering donating?
Follow your instincts, keep your loved ones informed and take their questions as an opportunity to educate, trust the medical professionals, and enjoy the journey! Keep a journal along the way to help keep track of details and process thoughts and feelings.
What were your fears before donating?
I only feared that it wouldn’t work out. Every day along the way, I was more determined to make it work, and yet I knew there was only so much I could do to ensure a positive outcome. It’s important to accept that.
Looking back, how do you feel about those fears now?
Fears inform both facts (or lack of them) as well as feelings, and deserve acknowledgement and response. If they persist, it’s important to get someone onboard to help get you un-stuck so that you can find the appropriate response. It may be to discontinue the journey. You just have to be honest with yourself.
Tell us anything else you’d like included in your submission!
I didn’t know my recipient, Dustin, at the time I decided to donate. I had heard about him through my strength-training community, StrongFirst. But we had never met. One day I saw a local news story about a cashier that donated to the wife of one of her regular customers. She had never met her recipient until she decided to donate. As soon as I saw that story, I realized that I could do that, too. That’s why I share my story. You never know who may realize that it’s something they can do.
