wcpt congress: event of a lifetime - World Confederation for Physical ...

PHYSIOTHERAPY WHERE?
Striving for Success!
Report from the 18th
World Transplant Games,
Gothenburg, Sweden
In late June I was physiotherapist
for the New
Zealand transplant team
at these Garmes.
For over twenty years the World
Transplant Games Federation has
been staging international sporting
events for transplant athletes in order
to demonstrate the physical success
of transplant surgery and to raise
awareness of organ donation.
The Summer World Transplant
Games take place every two years.
This year nearly one thousand
transplant recipients (aged 8-82)
from 54 countries competed at an
extraordinarily high level. Some came
simply to enjoy taking part at their own
pace and welcomed the opportunity to
meet with other transplant recipients in
an atmosphere of fun and friendship.
Part of my role at the Auckland
District Health Board involves the
early rehabilitation of heart and lung
transplant patients while they are
staying at our specialist unit “Hearty
Towers” following discharge from
Auckland City Hospital and before
returning home. My role at the
Transplant Games is more varied.
While monitoring the athletes’ health
and supporting the team manager
with organisation of the team, I was
also responsible for managing their
musculoskeletal needs and providing
treatments to help them achieve their
best in their chosen events.
My passion for transplant rehabilitation
started when I wrote the dissertation
for my first degree. I was encouraged
by a family member who was a
pioneering UK kidney transplant
surgeon. Transplant patients are
Kirsty Johnson with an athlete at the World Transplant Games.
the soul of my job, and it is difficult
to explain my feelings seeing them
progress from such frailty pretransplant
to blossoming following
surgery and rehabilitation. Then of
course there are the emotions when
we finally say goodbye. They are such
a pleasure to work with, developing
strength and character as their new life
begins and progresses. Going to the
Games is the icing on the cake – to see
what they can achieve is humbling.
Notable successes
While the team was smaller this year
due to the distance and cost of travel,
we still managed to come home with
seven medals, finishing 30th out of 54
countries in the medal table. Our junior
liver transplant patient received four
medals: two golds in the 100m sprint
and ball throw, silver in squash and
bronze in ten pin bowling. There was
also a bronze in the petanque doubles
and bronze medals for two of the heart
transplants that played golf.
We had competitors in other events
including tennis, badminton, table tennis,
swimming, athletics, road cycling
and time trial races, and volleyball. I
was personally involved in the early
rehabilitation of three participants,
and have been closely monitoring and
guiding their training for participation
in this event. It is humbling to see them
compete at such a high level, which
highlights the value of the World Transplant
Games programme as a motivational
and supportive tool for patients
trying to restore cardio-respiratory
fitness and maintain an active lifestyle
following surgery.
Lessons from previous years
I had a treatment table with me this
year, which I learnt from the event
two years ago was a must! After
discussion with physiotherapists from
the UK at the last event in 2009 where
I provided my own supplies, this year I
approached 3M, who kindly supplied
us with some strapping tape, which
was in great demand.
18 | PHYSIO MATTERS AUGUST 2011