Monaghan woman takes long jump Gold on final day of World Transplant Games in Malaga

A Monaghan kidney transplant woman has taken a long jump to win her second Gold at the 21st World Transplant Games which come to a close today (Saturday) in Malaga.

At the Long Jump event today Michelle Reinhardt McCabe from Smithboro took first place with a distance of 3.83 while Brazil came second and Germany was third. The day before Michelle, a mother of two, also won a Gold medal for the 100m sprint event.

Michelle, a newcomer to Transplant Team Ireland, will also be competing in the final event of the World Transplant Games today, a 4 x 400m Relay race, along with her teammates Tony Gartland, James Nolan and Kieran Murray.

Speaking after her Long Jump event, Michelle said “it was a great event but very tough. There was very strong competition. Thanks to my donor family and all my own family that have come out here with me. Also thanks to Clones Athletics Club and Peacelink Sports Complex”.

Michelle, who works as a beauty therapist, was part of the Ladies Relay Team (4 x 100m) with teammates Aoife Murray, Sinead McGowan and Angela Sherlock who competed yesterday (Friday) and finished in a respectable 4th place.

The team will will return home to Dublin airport on Sunday evening, 2nd July, bringing with them a large haul of medals which they won at the week-long games and memories to treasure for years to come. Their Ryanair flight is expected to land in Dublin airport at 17.30 hours. An informal homecoming reception with family, friends and supporters will take place in the Arrivals Hall (Terminal One) as the team are expected to come through after collecting baggage at approx. 18 hrs.

The Irish team of 27 athletes have been competing among close to 1000 transplant recipients form over 50 countries. Every athlete at the World Transplant Games will have already received a kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas or bone marrow transplant.

The Irish team includes four newcomers. Although the main objective for team members is to embrace life and promote organ donation, some returning team members were also contesting World titles. Keen to build on their medal successes at the previous World Transplant Games in Argentina in 2015, Deirdre Faul, Kieran Murray, Tony Gartland and Peter Heffernan have trained hard for the Malaga games. Between them, the much smaller team of four won 13 medals including 7 Gold, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze in Argentina. Two years previously at the World Transplant Games in Durban, South Africa 2013, the Irish team of 24 athletes scooped 34 medals including 12 Gold, 10 Silver and 12 bronze with 50 competing countries.

Athletes compete in their respective age categories in the following events: badminton, cycling, darts, golf, petanque, squash, swimming, table tennis, ten pin bowling, tennis, mini-marathon, and track and field.

For more information on World Transplant Games and the Irish athletes visit the Irish team blog www.transplantteamireland.ie Visit the Games website www.wtgmalaga2017.com/en

THE FULL IRISH PANEL IS AS FOLLOWS (and their individual ‘athlete profiles’ are on the team blog):-

ANTRIM: John McAleer, Newtownabbey (kidney) (oldest member of the team)

CORK: Mike Keohane, Clonakilty (liver); Charlie Ryan, Cobh (liver); Michael Kiely, Mitchelstown, on the Limerick border (kidney); Pat O’Sullivan, Mallow (kidney)

CARLOW: Tony (Patrick Anthony)Gartland, Hacketstown(liver), first liver transplant person in Ireland

CLARE: Marie O’Connor, Lahinch (kidney)

DONEGAL: Kieran Murray, Ramelton (kidney)

GALWAY: Sinead McGowan, Renmore (living in Australia)

KERRY: Con Brosnan, Killarney (kidney)

KILDARE: James Nolan, Kilcullen (kidney)

MEATH: Tony Gavigan, Navan, a native of Lanesborough, Longford (kidney transplant and father of deceased donor); Rachel Eagleton, Bettystown (kidney) – youngest member of the team

MONAGHAN: Michelle Reinhardt McCabe, Smithboro (kidney)

TIPPERARY: Orla Hogan, Nenagh (kidney); Sheila Gregan, Nenagh (kidney)

WICKLOW: Garry Campbell, Greystones (kidney)

DUBLIN: Ron Grainger, Castleknock, D.15 (kidney); Harry Ward, Team Captain, Baldoyle, D.13 (kidney); Paul Prendergast, Santry, D.9 (kidney); Anthony Byrne, Artane (kidney); Angela Sherlock, Greenhills (kidney); Peter Heffernan, Skerries (kidney); Aoife Murray, Clonsilla, (liver);

Michael Dwyer, Cabinteely (kidney); Leonard Ryan, Tallaght, D 24 (kidney); and Deirdre Faul, Dalkey (liver).

Team Manager, Colin White from Balbriggan, Dublin

Team Doctor, Claire Kennedy, from Lucan and living in Clontarf, Dublin

For organ donor cards Freetext DONOR to 50050 or visit website www.ika.ie/card You can now download the IKA’s new digital donor card by visiting www.donor.ie on your smartphone.Your wishes to be an organ donor can also be included on the new format driving licence which is represented by Code 115.

-ENDS-

NOTE: Transplant Team Ireland’s return flight on Ryanair is expected to land at Dublin airport Terminal One on Sunday July 2nd at 17.30 hours. An informal homecoming reception by family, friends and supporters will take place in the Arrivals Hall (Terminal One) as the team are expected to come through after collecting baggage at approx. 18 hrs. Photographer Conor McCabe will be covering this homecoming event (no repro fee) tel. 085 7057255

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gwen O’Donoghue, Media co-ordinator. Mob. 353 86 8241447 Email: gwenodonoghue1@gmail.com

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