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Kidney Donor Athletes
Athlete Archive
Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Emily!
I know probably better than the average person what a need there is for kidney transplants because I have been a dialysis nurse for 12 years. After I had a patient die while waiting over 4 years for a transplant, I started to think a little more about being a donor...
Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Holly!
My name is Holly Armstrong, and this is my donation story for Kidney Donor Athletes. It's funny because I wouldn’t have always considered myself an ‘athlete’. I was a chubby, sedentary middle schooler who occasionally played softball or street hockey with my older...
Meet Kili Climber Katie
Katie did not hesitate to donate because her mother was in need, and she was lucky to be a match. Katie's grandfather passed from kidney failure, further inspiring her donation as she wants to have her mother around for a very long time. She is climbing because she...
From Yahtzee to Kilimanjaro: Shawna’s Story
How do you make the most of a global pandemic? You gather a group of six amazing Kidney Donor Athletes and have a fun little virtual Yahtzee tournament as a way to connect with other people, build community, and maintain sanity. Then, when the tournament is over, you...
Jay continues to give by climbing Kilimanjaro
Jay was inspired to donate to pay back a debt of gratitude. Thirteen years ago, Jay was caught in an avalanche that broke his leg, shattering his pelvis and severing nerves and arteries. His friend Bill saved his life by stabilizing him, building a fire to...
Tracey’s inspiration: kda & kilimanjaro
I first heard about living kidney donation on the first day of seventh grade. A classmate’s uncle donated his kidney to her cousin, who both recovered nicely. I had never heard such a thing, but somehow I knew it was for me. Tracey with others in her donor chain...
“strong like a rock” & ready to climb
Hujambo! My name is Sarah and I am a proud member of Team Jabali, one of two teams planning to summit Kilimanjaro on World Kidney Day for KDA’s One Kidney Climb 2022. Jabali means “strong like a rock” and I can’t wait to show the world how strong we can be with one...
Steve’s story and cause to climb
My journey to becoming a non-directed kidney donor started with an early morning bike ride in late June 2019. I was scrolling through Facebook prior to beginning my ride and one post almost jumped out of my phone. It was from a high school acquaintance,...
Stephanie’s great challenge to give & to climb
For me, deciding to apply to join the Kilimanjaro One Kidney Climb team was a lot like the decision to donate my left kidney – I was scrolling through Facebook one evening and saw a post about it and thought, “Oh! I HAVE to do that!” (Hey, who says social...
Meet Kili Climber Lucy
Lucy was inspired to donate to make a real difference in the world. She has always felt the desire to donate an organ. She responded to an article in a newspaper that she felt was meant for her. She is climbing because she feels this is a unique...
Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Kristy!
In February 2019, a family member was diagnosed with kidney failure and admitted to the hospital. Having two friends who have donated kidneys before I knew transplant was an option, and immediately began doing research. While I wondered what donating a kidney would...
Meet kili Climber kristyn
In 2018 I started hiking in Acadia National Park. I was overweight and out of shape so with a max elevation of about 1500ft, it was the perfect place to start. By the end of that first summer, I was hooked. I decided to dust off an old goal I had shelved back in high...
Andrea’s kili climb story
Andrea donated her kidney to her uncle. After going through the process and witnessing the difference it made to him, she would donate all over again if she could. She is climbing to help raise awareness of living kidney donation and to be an example of how donating...
kili climber Natalie: acting for advocacy
Natalie was inspired to donate when her friend’s daughter was in end-stage renal failure, and she felt compelled to help. She is climbing not only for the physical challenge post kidney donation but out of a strong sense of responsibility to advocate for living...
J’ne’s training for Kili Climb
I’m not sure what came over me when I applied to climb Kilimanjaro with KDA. I only knew that if I was accepted, it would be a new adventure with a supportive group of people that would help me get there. My initial feelings when considering kidney donation were...