Oldest competitor at Transplant Games, 89, wins four golds

An 89-year-old man who was the oldest competitor at the World Transplant Games has returned home with four gold medals.

Mike Gibbons, from Draughton, North Yorkshire, who competed at the games in Germany on Sunday, won for squash and for running in the 5k, 500m and 1500m events.

As he was the only person listed in the over-80s category, he joined athletes in the lower age group to avoid having to run the races alone.

Mr Gibbons, whose wife Ann donated a kidney to him in 2007, said he was pleased with his success but added he “had to work for it”.

Mrs Gibbons lives in a care home and suffers from dementia, but Mr Gibbons carries a picture of them together at every race.

She became a live donor after Mr Gibbons developed kidney failure aged 55, leaving him on dialysis.

The octogenarian began competing in the World Transplant Games in 2008 – when it was held in Rovaniemi, Finland – and has won many medals since.

“I’ve been to quite a few of these world games,” he said. “It was hard work but enjoyable.”

Mr Gibbons said running in the longer races was not always easy.

“Right at the beginning of the 5k, I felt a pain in my upper leg and I was worrying about it,” he said.

“I can’t do a 5k flat out. The last 100m I always do a sprint to the end.

“It certainly gets the crowd going.”

He was supported at the games by Karen Piotr, the Team GB captain for donor families and live donors at the World Transplant Games.

She is also the Organ Donation Champion at Bradford Teaching Hospitals, where Mr Gibbons’ transplant operation was carried out.

Ms Piotr said: “To see him during the 1500m, the way they were comparing in the stadium and the applause, it was just phenomenal to be there to see that.”

She said: “There were over 30 countries that send athletes to the World Transplant Games, who have had an organ transplant.

“It’s all about them coming together in quite a lot of different events, like football, volleyball, golf, swimming, athletics.

“The athletics is split into things like running, shot put, javelin, discus, long jump, those sorts of things and relays.

“It’s quite wonderful to be in the stadium to see these people, you’ve got people as young as four and then Mike at the other end of the spectrum, who’s 89 and everybody in between.”

Ms Piotr added: “Mike is certainly that role model for Team GB or for anybody – it just shows what you can do after a transplant, for him still to be fit and healthy and still to run a 5k or1500m, or even just to play squash like he does.

“It’s admirable, it really is wonderful to see.”

The next British Transplant Games will be held in Sheffield next August, and the next World event will be in Belgium in 2027 and Mr Gibbons plans to compete at both.