Camelon's Martin Strang wins silver at British Transplant Games

The event was the largest ever Games with 1,050 transplant athletes and over 2,000 supporters registered as it returned to the host town, Birmingham, after 19 years.

Martin Strang, from Camelon, was one of these athletes and competed in archery, ten pin bowling and indoor bowls.

Martin was “well chuffed” to receive silver in his age category for archery, pitting his bow against other well experienced archers.

These games were important for a lot of athletes as it was the qualifying games in order for members to be picked for Team Great Britain, to compete in the World Transplant Games in Newcastle next year.

Speaking on the Games, Martin said: “This is my second British Transplant Games, after North Lanarkshire last year, and I also did the European Games in Sardinia in June this year.

“Having a transplant is letting me live life to the full and I am enjoying every bit of the new lease of life.

“My friends came up from Northamptonshire to see me whilst I was at Birmingham. The last time they saw me was six years ago, a month before my transplant and I was literally at death’s door.

“They couldn’t believe it when they saw me now, and competing.”

Held over four days at the University of Birmingham and other venues across the city, the Westfield Health British Transplant Games included more than 20 sporting events and competitions including everything from cycling and snooker to swimming and football.

Open to all transplant recipients, the Games seeks to celebrate the life-changing effects of transplantation, encourage transplant patients to regain fitness, while increasing public awareness of the need for more people to sign on the NHS Organ Donor Register and discuss their wishes now with their families.

For more information on the British Transplant Games or how you can still get involved, visit www.britishtransplantgames.co.uk , or sign up now to the Organ Donor. Register here: http://bit.ly/1sAEDaI