Old running joke: How do you know if someone ran a marathon? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you about it. We’ve all heard that one no doubt. But on this site, those stories have cool plot twists! One year ago as I type this, on 7-13-18, I donated my left kidney to a man who … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Pete!
For much of my life, I would say that I had a pretty casual relationship with exercise – I’d been a high school tennis player, and still occasionally hit the courts, but likely spent more time watching sports than participating…until ten years ago. For my twenty-eighth birthday, I decided to set an ambitious goal, in … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Stephanie!
My name is Emily Nowak and on November 2, 2018, I made the best decision of my life and donated my kidney to a stranger. I made a bucket list in which I wanted to help out a complete stranger. I didn't know what that was going to be and certainly didn't think it would … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Emily!
It has been 47 days since I donated my left kidney to my Uncle Bill. My donation journey to this point has been quite the adventure full of ups and downs. I underestimated both the physical recovery and emotional toll of this surgery. I hope sharing this chapter of my story does not turn people … Continue reading 6 Week Post-Op Update From Clinton!
I knew Anna for years. I met her when she was on dialysis the first time back around 2008. I cleaned for her and we instantly became friends. Anna is about 10 years younger than me. When she was in her early 20’s she found out she had an autoimmune disorder that was affecting her … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Tina!
I grew up on a farm in the Texas Panhandle, and I’ve been running since I was in the fourth grade - something about trying to beat my older sister in the presidential fitness mile run. Between running and horse riding, life was great. In the fall of 2004, I ran my first trail race. … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Peggy!
(Martha wrote her first post before surgery which you can find here.) Reflections on being a Living Kidney Donor at three days post-op: First, thank you to everyone from this group, Kidney Donor Athletes, for all of your support, prayers and well wishes. You have helped me be confident and reassured going into my … Continue reading Kidney Donor Athlete Martha – a Post-Op Update!
Wow! I consider myself a planner and feel like I always do my homework before jumping into things. I study trail maps for hours before hikes. I envision all the medical emergencies I may face when building a first aid kit. I scour nutrition data deciding which foods have the best calorie to weight ratio … Continue reading Clinton is now a Kidney Donor Athlete!
I started avid long-distance running back in 2011. I was always athletic growing up, but I had largely stopped exercising while I was in medical school. I finally reconnected with my first love, running, with my first half marathon in April 2011. I was hooked! I went on to run 117 half marathons (in all … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Amy!
My name is Clinton, I am about to turn 35, and I live in the Kansas City area. I am a self-employed Master Electrician, who enjoys my work, but defines myself by what I do when I'm not working. Most of my life’s most memorable moments have been made outdoors on some sort of … Continue reading Meet (Future) Kidney Donor Athlete, Clinton!
