The European Transplant Games took place in June in Arnhem, Netherlands, drawing about 600 participants from across Europe. The event is open to organ or stem cell transplant recipients, people undergoing dialysis, living donors, and family members of both living and deceased donors.
Robert Lindemann, a 32-year-old accountant from Germany, attended his second Games after receiving a heart transplant. He competed in bowling, pétanque and shot put, sports he began trying roughly eight months after his operation.
Lindemann said the Games provide a setting where transplant recipients do not feel singled out. "It sounds a bit weird when I say you don't feel special here, because everybody has a special story," he said.
Participants range from serious athletes who train year-round to beginners slowly building strength by trying new sports. The format resembles an Olympics-style, week-long competition.
Lindemann first attended the World Transplant Games about eight months after his surgery. He said talking with peers there helped him adapt to post-transplant life, when "everything was new."
That same support network motivated his return for the European Games in Arnhem. The event combines athletic competition with a community of people sharing similar medical experiences.
Organizers structure the Games to include both competitive events and opportunities for participants to connect. The mix of recipients, donors and family members creates a broad support environment.
The Games continue a tradition of international transplant sporting events that aim to highlight life after transplantation and encourage organ donation awareness.
The ‘Transplant Games’ Are About More Than Medals
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