HOW WE STARTED
Our Story
World Transplant Athletes’ purpose is to empower organ transplant recipients everywhere to engage in activities, exercise, and sport to live healthier, happier, longer lives by growing and promoting the benefits of physical activity.
Stories are humans’ original technology. We tell stories to educate and entertain.
During the World Transplant Games in Newcastle-Gateshead in the United Kingdom in 2019, I was listening to a story from a organ transplant recipient who was telling me in detail about his training plans and I realized that the story I was hearing was one of many stories I had heard from organ transplant recipients competing in running, cycling, swimming, and other events.
Immediately, I wanted to collect as many of these stories as possible and share them with organ recipients everywhere, whether or not they could ever participate in transplant games. After all, attending competitions is expensive, but transplant recipients everywhere can get physically active at home, in their neighborhood, or with friends. As a recipient, I realized that I was most inspired by other transplant athletes so one month later in September 2019, I began a Facebook page and podcast to begin collecting and sharing stories and tips from athletes everywhere to help future athletes. As the number of stories grew, it was time to share with a larger audience.
In June 2021, World Transplant Athletes (WTA) launched. Since then WTA’s Facebook and Instagram presence has grown from zero to over 3,500 Instagram followers and 1,000 Facebook followers along with LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok channels.
More importantly, a team of 18 organ recipient athletes who speak 6 languages from 11 countries work behind the scenes to make content for You: organ transplant recipients.
Follow us @worldtransplantathletes and use the hashtag #worldtransplantathletes when you want to inspire others!!!
Zachary Brooks (kidney, USA)
World Transplant Athletes
Mission
To empower organ transplant recipients everywhere by demonstrating organ recipients participating in physical activities, exercise, and sport.
Vision
To share recipient tips and content with all transplant recipients, and to put these into the hands of every transplant coordinator in every transplant center in the world.
Values
If you have a body with a new part,
You Are a World Transplant Athlete!!!
If you have a transplant or if you are affiliated with organ transplants, you are a member of the WTA family. We aim to create a community of organ recipients who feel welcomed. Like you, we have been directly affected by transplantation so we put you and your story and what you have learned as the central focus of all of our efforts.
We commit to engaging with organ recipients with openness, fun, and dignity. Every World Transplant Athlete volunteer, employee, and leader is treated with respect and if any of us should make a mistake, we endeavor to forgive one another and continue to lead the world through our embodied example.
We lead the world transplant recipient space with optimism and resilience, much of which is developed and reinforced through physical activity, exercise, and training.
We survey our fellow organ recipients to ensure that the online content we develop and the content we create provides recipients tips and tricks on how to live well with your organ transplant.