BUSINESS TO THE CITY. IT’S SET TO OPEN THIS FALL. THE TRANSPLANT GAMES ARE HERE IN BIRMINGHAM. THE FIRST EVENTS START FRIDAY, WITH THE OPENING CEREMONY ON SATURDAY. WVTM 13 S LISA CRANE SPOKE TO A COMPETITOR AND A TEAM MANAGER TODAY. SHE JOINS US LIVE IN LOCAL WITH DETAILS. LISA. YEAH, MANY OF THE EVENTS ARE GOING TO BE HELD HERE AT THE BJCC. THAT IS INCLUDING THE OPENING CEREMONY ON SATURDAY. NOW, THE TRANSPLANT GAMES ARE HELD EVERY TWO YEARS AND IT IS BIRMINGHAM’S TURN. PEOPLE FROM 43 STATES AND THREE COUNTRIES ARE GOING TO BE HERE TO COMPETE. WE’VE GOT SWIMMING, WE’VE GOT TRACK AND FIELD, WE’VE GOT TABLE TENNIS, WE’VE GOT BASKETBALL DARTS, BOWLING, PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS WILL GATHER IN BIRMINGHAM TO COMPETE IN DOZENS OF EVENTS. THEY’LL BE TRYING THEIR BEST TO WIN, BUT THAT’S NOT THE REASON FOR THE TRANSPLANT GAMES. THE PURPOSE IS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT ALL THESE ACTIVITIES ARE POSSIBLE. UM, YOU KNOW, LIFE GOES ON THIS IS NEW LIFE CREATED FROM OTHER PEOPLE’S DONATIONS. UM, SO IT’S, YOU KNOW, JUST PROMOTING ORGAN DONATION IN GENERAL. LEO FEIST WILL COMPETE IN THE VIRTUAL TRIATHLON. SHE’S ALSO A MANAGER OF TEAM ALABAMA. SHE SAYS EVERYONE IN THE COMPETITION HAS BEEN TOUCHED BY ORGAN DONATION. FEIST DONATED A KIDNEY TO A YOUNG MAN SHE HAD NEVER MET. SHE DID IT TO HONOR A BABY. SHE LOST MANY YEARS AGO. I LOST THE BABY ABOUT 20 YEARS EARLIER, AND I FOUND SOMEONE ABOUT THAT SAME AGE. UM, SO IT WAS KIND OF. THERE WERE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES BETWEEN OUR FAMILIES THAT WAS LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, IT JUST TOLD ME IT WAS RIGHT. IN EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY, SOPHIE SAYS, EVERY COMPETITOR FROM EVERY COUNTRY AND EVERY STATE REALLY HAS A SENSE OF BEING ON THE SAME TEAM DURING THESE COMPETITIONS. THEY’VE ALL GOT THIS SHARED EXPERIENCE AND THEY ENJOY GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE WHO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY’RE GOING THROUGH. ALL THE EVENTS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND WE HAVE A SCHEDULE OF ALL THOSE EVENTS ON OUR WEBS
Transplant Games in Birmingham about much more than competition
The Transplant Games are in Birmingham. The first events start Friday with the opening ceremony on Saturday. Many of the events will be held at the BJCC, including the opening ceremony. The Transplant Games are held every two years, and it’s Birmingham’s turn. People from 43 states and three countries will be here to take part. >> THE LATEST: Headlines and weather from WVTM 13Leal Feist is a competitor and a co-manager of Team Alabama. “We’ve got swimming, we’ve got track and field, we’ve got table tennis, we’ve got basketball, darts, bowling,” she said.People of all ages and backgrounds will gather in Birmingham to compete in dozens of events. They’ll be trying their best to win, but that’s not the reason for the transplant games. “The purpose is to be able to show the world that all these activities are possible. You know, life goes on. This is new life created from other people’s donations. So, it’s, you know, just promoting organ donation in general,” Feist said.>> WVTM 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for freeFeist will compete in the virtual triathlon. She says everyone in the competition has been touched by organ donation. Feist donated a kidney to a young man she’d never met. She did it to honor a baby she lost many years ago. “I lost the baby about 20 years earlier, and I found someone about that same age. So, it was kind of, there were a lot of similarities between our families. That was like, hey, you know, it just told me it was right every step along the way,” she said.Feist said every competitor from every country and every state really has a sense of being on the same team. They’ve all got a shared experience and really enjoy getting to know each other. All the events are open to the public. We have a link to the schedule here.
The Transplant Games are in Birmingham. The first events start Friday with the opening ceremony on Saturday. Many of the events will be held at the BJCC, including the opening ceremony.
The Transplant Games are held every two years, and it’s Birmingham’s turn. People from 43 states and three countries will be here to take part.
>> THE LATEST: Headlines and weather from WVTM 13
Leal Feist is a competitor and a co-manager of Team Alabama.
“We’ve got swimming, we’ve got track and field, we’ve got table tennis, we’ve got basketball, darts, bowling,” she said.
People of all ages and backgrounds will gather in Birmingham to compete in dozens of events. They’ll be trying their best to win, but that’s not the reason for the transplant games.
“The purpose is to be able to show the world that all these activities are possible. You know, life goes on. This is new life created from other people’s donations. So, it’s, you know, just promoting organ donation in general,” Feist said.
>> WVTM 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for free
Feist will compete in the virtual triathlon. She says everyone in the competition has been touched by organ donation. Feist donated a kidney to a young man she’d never met. She did it to honor a baby she lost many years ago.
“I lost the baby about 20 years earlier, and I found someone about that same age. So, it was kind of, there were a lot of similarities between our families. That was like, hey, you know, it just told me it was right every step along the way,” she said.
Feist said every competitor from every country and every state really has a sense of being on the same team. They’ve all got a shared experience and really enjoy getting to know each other. All the events are open to the public. We have a link to the schedule here.
Source: Transplant Games in Birmingham about much more than competition
