Greenlawn heart transplant recipient Christian Siems, 24, won a silver medal in men’s golf at the recent Transplant Games of America.
Siems competed as a member of Team Liberty at the games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Christian SiemsHe received his heart on April 25, 2015 and competes in the games in honor of his donor, Nicolas. “This is my second time competing in the Transplant games. It is an amazing experience to be with people from all across the county who have received lifesaving transplants” Siems said. “Donor families, recipients and, supporters come together to share experiences, it is very emotional. I thank my donor every day; he saved my life and the lives of 3 others. Without my donor, I would not be here.”
At the closing ceremonies on Aug. 7, the Transplant Games of America set a world record for the Guinness Book World Records, with 540 solid organ recipients together in the same place.
There were 43 teams from across the county made up of 2830 solid organ transplant recipients that came together to compete in badminton, ballroom dancing, bowling, corn hole, cycling, darts, golf, Lyrics for Life, racquetball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, track & field, trivia challenge, poker, and Youth Olympiad. Team Liberty athletes took home 37 gold, 36 silver and 25 bronze medals.
The games are held bi-annually in different cities across the country. In 2020 Team Liberty together with the New Jersey Sharing Network will host the games at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.
Currently there are 125,000 people in the United States awaiting a life-saving organ transplant. New York is last in the country for registered donors. For more information, visit LiveOnNy.org
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