Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Justin!

Apr 2, 2026 | Running, Soccer | 0 comments

Name: Justin

Location: South Carolina

Donation date: October 2025

Age at donation: 42

Donated to: Sister

Categories of exercise before donation: Running, Soccer

What was your activity level like before donation?
Before donation I was exercising 5 days a week running up to as much as 8 miles a day. I was heavy into circuit training that included a lot of ab work. 

 

Who did you donate to?
I donated to my older sister.

 

 

 

How would you describe your recovery post-donation?
Recovery was not bad at all. The first 2 weeks were the worst, with the stomach aches and the shoulder pain from the gas. Once that subsided I felt pretty much back to normal again. I just couldn’t lift more than 5 pounds for the first 8 weeks.

Describe your journey back to fitness after recovering.
I started back slowly with jogging to ensure there was no pain. Once I was able to get to a full run I started to notice that I lost a little bit of my cardio and have to regain that. I have been doing a lot of slow distance runs mixed in with fast short runs and interval runs.

Were there unexpected hurdles along the way?
I didn’t notice any hurdles at all. 

 

Do you feel different now than when you did pre-surgery?
I do not feel much different but I have noticed that I get more winded walking up my stairs then I do running 3 miles. 

 

Do you take precautions now that you didn’t before?
The only I really do now I just monitor my water intake. With it being the winter, I’m not too worried about liquid IVs but when the summer heat comes I will mix those into my hydration plan.

 

What advice would you give someone considering donating?
Trust your doctors. There are a lot of websites and social media sites with people who have “opinions”. Everyone’s body is different. No two donors are the same. So when it comes to medical stuff, look for answers from the professionals.

What were your fears before donating?
I don’t really think I had any fears about the actual surgery. My only thought prior was “I hope it works” and “I hope one of my kids don’t need a kidney in the future”.

Looking back, how do you feel about those fears now?

I still feel the same way. The kidney starting working immediately for my sister so that’s amazing. I still hope my children would never need one and I’m not ever able to help them. 

 

Tell us anything else you’d like included in your submission!
There’s truly is no greater feeling than being able to help someone, especially someone you love. The gift of life is something that every person should want to give. I’m proud to be a part of the one bean club and will never regret my decision to donate. 

 

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