The beginning of August witnessed the Canadian Transplant Games taking place in Ottawa, bringing together organ donors and recipients for a week-long celebration of life and resilience. This event aims to share the powerful stories of the transplant community and raise awareness about the importance of organ donation.
All athletes participating in the Canadian Transplant Games (CTG) have either received a second chance at life through a transplant or have given that chance to someone else. The Games, held from August 3 to August 9 at Carleton University, featured a wide range of events, including cycling, running, swimming, triathlon, track and field, pickleball, table tennis, golf, bowling, lawn bowling, and pétanque at various locations across the city.
During this week-long event in Ottawa, 190 people signed up to participate, with 124 of them being organ transplant recipients. The Canadian Transplant Games are a major sports event for transplant recipients in Canada, offering them an opportunity to compete at a national level and prepare for the World Transplant Games. Athletes of all skill levels are encouraged to take part, with simply finishing a race being celebrated as a significant achievement.
A key goal of the Games is to encourage more Canadians to register as organ donors. Currently, over 4,000 people in Canada are waiting for life-saving organ transplants, and some may not survive the wait. By highlighting the achievements of the athletes at the Canadian Transplant Games, the organization hopes to raise awareness about the critical importance of organ donation and offer hope to those in need of transplants. Since 2017, the event has also welcomed donor families, living donors, and supporters.
Participants like Sylvie Charbonneau and Brenda Brown, competing as race walkers, had both donated and received kidneys. Eleven years ago, Brown received a donated kidney in a three-way exchange after her daughter volunteered to donate, failing while Brown was looking at a waiting time of 10 years for a kidney from a deceased donor. Some of the competitors have undergone two or three transplants, according to Brown. While organ donations usually last for seven to 15 years, she knows a man who has had his original kidney transplant for 50 years.
Sylvie Charbonneau’s son Benoît, who is a competitive swimmer, found out that his kidney function had decreased to about 25 percent when he was in his mid-20s. After following a special diet for three years, he needed to either undergo dialysis or have a kidney transplant. In 2012, Sylvie donated a kidney to her son, and he returned to work four weeks after the surgery. “We only realize how important something is when we see someone lose it,” Sylvie said. “We noticed him getting weaker before his surgery, but he never missed a day of work. After the transplant, he had so much energy and was back on track.” However, by 2021, the donated kidney had stopped working, and Benoît was put on the waiting list again. This time, he received a kidney from a deceased donor in January 2022. In 2023, he participated in the World Transplant Games in Perth, Australia, and won five medals.
Sylvie is inspired by seeing people celebrate their second chance at life. 42-year-old Benoît feels comforted by being among people where he is not the exception. According to Sylvie, Benoît has made friends for life there. The Canadian games are held every two years and were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic because transplant recipients with weakened immune systems couldn’t travel.
In 2023, 3,428 organ transplants were done in Canada. Most of them, 83%, used organs from deceased donors. And of the organs from living donors, 54% came from family members. Right now, 4,700 people in Canada are waiting for organ transplants. About three quarters of them need kidneys.
Until about 15 years ago, organ recipients were not encouraged to exercise. However, the current evidence shows that exercise is beneficial for a transplanted organ.
