Athlete. That word had such a different meaning to me growing up. I looked at the other kids playing sports and my clumsy, lacking-hand-eye coordination, shy self, did not equate to what I believed was an athlete. I didn’t realize that all the things I did in my everyday life contributed to my athleticism and … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Michelle!
I've always been an average Joe. Not especially great at any one thing but always up for anything, which is exactly why in high school, on a dare, I joined the all boy wrestling team as a freshman. I loved it instantly! This lead me to running, all those weigh-ins and cutting weight, meant many … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Susan!
What’s funny about sharing my story here is that athleticism is why I chose to donate in the first place. Let me take a step back. I was randomly scrolling on Facebook about a year ago and came across a post about a boy who was my son’s age, third grade, and was super active … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Nichole!
My name is Sara Cain and I donated my kidney to my brother in 2017. I have always been very active and enrolled in some type of sport or working out on my own. Staying healthy and active is an integral part of my life. Before donation, I had run five half marathons, played collegiate-level … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Sara!
Being a healthy, active woman in my 50s, I knew after seeing my friend’s story about needing a kidney for her daughter several times that I needed to throw my name into the hat and at least see if I was a match. It was a long journey but I indeed was a directly compatible blood match … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Natalie!
Right Kidney For The Trail On a special day, 8 February 2020, I ran my first serious run since donating my left kidney on 16 October 2019 – just 16.5 weeks later. At 73 years old, a half marathon trail run (my first trail run) on one kidney is a significant achievement. I ran the Rotorua Ultra Half, one of the more picturesque trail runs in our country, renown for … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Tom!
My name is Shannon and I am a kidney donor athlete! My journey to being an athlete and my journey to being a kidney donor started separately but on February 20, 2017, they intersected. That was the day I read on Facebook about a little girl needing a kidney. Within minutes of reading the post, I clicked … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Shannon!
I never knew how much the “Share Your Spare” panel I attended on May 2019 at the university where I work would change my life. I had two acquaintances who had previously done direct kidney donations, which got me curious, but it wasn’t until I listened to the stories of the donors and recipients on the panel that really lit something inside … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Maranda!
Come Back Ken: My road to donation may have started a little different than most but we will get there. My journey started back in May 2018 while running the Buffalo marathon. Up until this point, I was always a weekend warrior and considered myself to be a somewhat decent athlete playing lacrosse and hockey … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Ken!
My name is Jameson and I gave half of my liver to a brother in Christ, a friend, and coworker in November 2015. The road to donation was quite the unexpected journey. What sustained me through the challenge was a conviction that God had invited me to the opportunity and was with me as I … Continue reading Meet Our FIRST Liver Donor Athlete, Jameson!
