A journey to the World Transplant Games
“John, we need you in Dresden, to represent Great Britain!”
I thought at first this request might be the start of a new career in politics as a Diplomat, but no, it was the culmination of quite a different personal ‘journey’…
My name is John and I ride with Stourbug.
Many years ago at University I rode my first road bike, drop bars, 10 speed gears, and a Reynolds 531 frame. It belonged to a friend, and I would ride from Bangor into the mountains, carrying climbing gear and ropes. Occasionally we would ride together (he had a “best bike”, and a “winter bike”) doing big routes up from the coast often to the foot of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), the pain of the climbs and the exhilaration of the breakneck descents down the Llanberis Pass are fond memories.
After “Uni” one of the last Dawes hand-built bikes became a treasured possession. It did everything, commuting, trips to the pub, and long weekend rides. A friend and I would meet early on a Sunday morning with often no plan of where to go, but armed with an Esso road map we would set off. One epic ride started with “Let’s go to Chester”, getting there early we decided to come back over the Horseshoe Pass on to Llangollen. Mechanical problems created a 13 hour ride!
Jump forward a few years, now with my loving partner Julie, a growing family and more work commitments I still cycle but my fitness has dropped.
An operation caused a trapped nerve, weeks of pain so severe I could black out and not eating led to weight loss and the pain stopped. One morning a look in the mirror and a decision to do more cycling. A Koga world tour bike appears, and I disappear for tours in Wales and Scotland. Coming home late from a long weekend in Aran touring, my wife tells me I don’t look well; chest pain is passed off as a “chest infection” and life goes on. However next Sunday’s ride brings a heart attack and stents, and friends and family are concerned that I shouldn’t be riding alone.
This is 2012 and when I discover Stourbug and I’m welcomed into the club, discovering new friends, new routes, and the fun of cycling in a group.
But then, shortly after, I’m hit for six - a new diagnosis: I have a rare form of a rare disease that will eventually kill my kidneys. Cycling and keeping fit becomes more important. I manage to do many long rides including Land’s End to John O’Groats but as fitness declines riding becomes harder.
Three drug trials involving weeks in hospitals in London and Cambridge don’t find a cure. I self-inject a trial drug three times a day for four years, it has no effect.
End-stage Kidney Disease brings dialysis for up to 11 hours every night. A Wattbike sits in my study, and the need to keep fit enough for a transplant sees me ride it almost every day.
Then 2022 arrives bringing accidents, illness, another heart attack (more stents) 80 nights in hospitals and 5 blue light ambulance trips. As the year comes to an end after almost four years of waiting the call comes from the transplant team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham: “John, we have a good kidney for you”.
The transplant journey isn’t easy, with emergency operations, and problems, but April 2023 sees me do my first post-op ride, 17 miles with my wife, not fast or far, but it’s a start and it inspires me to go further.
Miles of cycling and hours of training on the Wattbike and I enter the British Transplant Games in Nottingham. These annual games bring transplant patients, and donor families together. It is an event filled with friendship and emotion, and seeing the team from Great Ormond Street Hospital brings many tears.
I ride in the Time Trial and Road Race against riders of all ages, at 70 I’m amongst the oldest so finishing 3rd in my road race tells me I have done well - shocked and proud I pick up two gold medals!
Standing with other riders after the presentation a man approaches: “Hi, I’m the manager of the British Transplant Cycling Team, and we’d like you to join us for the World Transplant Games in Dresden!”
And so it is, in July 2025 I will defend my British title and represent Great Britain at the World Games.
Every day I think about my deceased donor, their family, and the team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham who gave me a second life.
My journey is far from over, and I count my blessings every day. My thoughts often turn to those who are also facing tough times; there are many thousands waiting for a kidney transplant; not all will receive one.
