Galway’s two representatives distinguished themselves as Transplant Team Ireland came home with a staggering 21 gold, 19 silver and 29 bronze medals from the ninth European Transplant & Dialysis Championships in Vantaa, Finland last week.
Zimele Brown, a native of New Orleans and now living in Gleann na Rí in Galway city, and teammate Linda Waters from Athenry brought home four medals between them. Both Zimele and Linda were among six of the team who receive dialysis treatment.
Zimele won his first of three medals at the Championships, a silver, in the Darts event, then followed up with a bronze in the Petanque event a day later and then just a couple days later won another bronze in the ten-pin bowling event.
Linda won a bronze medal in the Petanque doubles event with her pairs partner Chikoyo White from Dublin.
The overall tally placed Ireland’s 28 strong team in fifth position on the medals table with host country Finland, and a much larger team of 96 athletes, taking top position out of 24 competing countries.
In second place was Hungary, followed by Great Britain and then Germany.
A large gathering of family, friends and supporters festooned with flags, banners and bunting, greeted the team on its arrival home to Dublin airport on Sunday.
The youngest member of Team Ireland, eighteen year old Matthew McNeive from Knock, Co. Mayo, described the team during the week commenting that ‘straight away they made me feel welcome and treated me as a member of their family’.
Team Manager Colin White summed up the week as a joyful and fantastic experience full of the Irish Team spirit.
“The stand out moment for me at the athletics track. The announcer knew that each time he would call an Irish name that he would get a huge reaction from the Irish. This for me really summed it up,” he said.
Letters of support were proudly posted on the team blog www.transplantteamireland.wordpress.com including some from prolific sporting personalities including Ireland manager Martin O’Neill, FAI chief John Delaney, GAA’s Mickey Harte, Alan Brogan and Brian Cody.
Also sending messages of support to the team was Finnish Ambassador to Ireland Janna Teckenberg and the Minister for Health Simon Harris, T.D as well as Salthill native Prof. Jim Egan, Director of Organ Donation Transplant Ireland.
“You are all exemplary ambassadors for your country and are showcasing the importance of organ donation and transplantation. It is testament to the courage of families of the donors and recipients and the efforts of the medical and nursing profession who underpin organ donation and transplant services that this event is taking place with a strong Irish representation,” he told the athletes.
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