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Kerry men Alan Gleeson and Stephen Byrne with Dublin’s All Star Alan Brogan who shared his insights into the Dublin team’s winning ways with Transplant Team Ireland ahead of European Championships in Finland. Picture Conor McCabe Photography
THREE Kerrymen feature on the Irish team of 29 off to the European Transplant Games in Finland next month.
Alan Gleeson from Listowel, Stephen Byrne from Tralee and Patrick O’Connor from Killarney were with the Irish team this week to listen to the words of encouragement from the surprise guest speaker and three time All Ireland Senior football title winner, Alan Brogan.
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The three Kerryman brought their Kerry jerseys with them as a crutch to hear the motivational talk by the Dublin star.
A team member who represented Ireland at the Games as a transplant recipient, but this year will be participating as a dialysis patient, Alan Gleeson, from Listowel, who works as a Garda in Dublin.
Father of two, Stephen Byrne from Tralee is also looking forward to his first ever European Games having undergone a kidney transplant just a year ago.
Making up the Kerry trio and participating in the dialysis category is newcomer to the team is Patrick O’Connor, from Killarney, an avid cyclist.
Transplant Team Ireland, which comprises 23 men and 6 women ranging in age from 18 to 78, includes 22 transplant recipients (4 Liver, 17 Kidney, 1 combined Kidney/Pancreas) as well as 7 people who are receiving dialysis treatment.
The 9th European Transplant & Dialysis Games will be held in Vantaa, Finland from 7th –18th July and will involve close to 500 participants from 25 countries throughout Europe. Every athlete at the Games will either have already received a kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas or bone marrow transplant or are on dialysis.
Athletes will compete in their respective age categories in the following events: badminton, tennis, cycling, darts, golf, petanque, swimming, table tennis, ten pin bowling, tennis, mini-marathon, and track and field.
At the previous biennial European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships which were held in Krakow, Poland in 2014, a slightly larger team of 34 inspirational athletes took home an impressive medals haul of 18 Gold, 18 Silver and 31 Bronze medals. Transplant Team Ireland was ranked in the top three position on the medals table, just behind Hungary which took first place and the host country Poland in second.
For more information on the European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships and the Irish athletes visit the Irish team blog www.transplantteamireland.wordpress.com or visit the Games website www.vantaa2016.fi
