Photo: Dennis Segatto (right) from Windsor, Ontario, Canada on the podium Bronze medal in Squash.
Team Canada from coast to coast has returned from the 2017 World Transplant Games in Malaga Spain
It is a bi-annual competition where transplant patients from around the world gather and compete in athletic events. This year over 1500 competitors came from over 48 countries.
Not only is there competition but with this community it is also sharing their experiences in their journey of illness, organ transplant, healthy living to competition. All these athletes have received a gold medal by getting an organ transplant they are now here to show.
World Transplant Games Federation (WTGF) for 35 years has been staging international sporting events and promoting education around transplantation in order to promote the physical success of transplant surgery and the need to raise public awareness to increase donation. Living donors first time at these games were allowed to participate in two events.
The WTGF is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a multi sports organization.
RESULTS: (official medal count released this weekend)
Medal table, Canada placed 7th with
- 19 gold
- 15 silver
- 21 bronze
- Total of 55 medals
Ontario had 21 athletes, total 47 athletes represented Canada. From Windsor ON Dennis Segatto in his age category 60- 69 Squash received Bronze medal. From Essex ON Kayden Blair junior category 3 gold medals in athletics ball throw, long jump, and high jump.
Dennis was highlighted in the Transplant World Journal (from WTGF) his journey from the 1980 his first games to 2017 Malaga Spain.
In Canada more education is needed for organ donation, many provinces register with their system, in Ontario it is via your health card, register beadonor.ca. Many of these athletes would not have been at the games if it wasn’t for generosity of organ donation, someone talked to their family about their decision.