Lithgow resident Richard Forbes is gearing up to celebrate the greatest gift of all by participating in next month’s Australian Transplant Games.

Richard, 50, received a live-saving cornea transplant in 2001 at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Transplant Australia will stage the Australian Transplant Games from September 24 to October 1 in Western Sydney to promote the benefits of donation and transplantation, and help transplant recipients strive towards improved health and fitness.

Western Sydney has been chosen as the location for the upcoming Transplant Games to promote of organ donation to Australia’s multicultural communities.

Transplant Australia will highlight the very real benefits of transplantation by forming a human image of the total number of years of extra life enjoyed by the recipients at the games.

This will take place in Sydney’s Martin Place on Monday, September 26 at 11.00am.

Richard will be adding fifteen years to what will be an extraordinary total and he will be presented with this personalised shirt at the start of the games.

He is competing in darts, table tennis and petanque.

The Transplant Games unite those touched by transplantation and organ donation through an exciting week of sport and social activities.

Transplant Australia CEO, Chris Thomas, describes the Games.

“For recipients, participation is a way of saying ‘thanks’ to their donor families; for donor families, it’s a way to honour their loved one’s gift of life.

“Transplant recipients come from all over the country to take part.

“Our athletes demonstrate living proof that transplantation saves lives. What’s more, it allows them a quality of life they might not have experienced for years.

“They can start a family, play sport, get back into the workforce – all because of the generosity of someone else,” Mr Thomas said.

The message to all Australians from the staging of these Games is to register as an organ and tissue donor.

“For every Australian willing to one day save lives, joining the register is the clearest message a person can give their family that, in the event of their death, they have made a decision to leave a legacy of donation to save the lives of other Australians,” Mr Thomas said. 

Join the Australian Organ Donor Register online by visiting donatelife.gov.au.