NZ Transplant Games

Calling all keen sportsmen and women

Ever dreamed of standing proudly on that medal podium while the orchestra plays God Defend New Zealand? Well this is your chance!

The NZ team have just enjoyed a hugely successful 2007 World Transplant Games in Thailand, which saw the 20 competitors scoop an amazing 24 medals between them.

Now the NZ Transplant Games Association is on the look-out for competitors for the next event in 2009.

Ray Morrissey, a former Leukaemia & Blood Foundation patient who took home silver and bronze for golf, summed up his trip to Bangkok as, “quite simply one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life.”

In fact, Ray, who had a bone marrow transplant for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) back in 2003, enjoyed the experience so much he’s taken on the role of secretary for the New Zealand Transplant Games Association.

The Quantity Surveyor from Auckland explained: “Just to share a stage with 1,400 competitors from 48 countries – it was unforgettable.”

“We were in the same hotel as the Swedish, the Brits, the Aussies and the Irish. While we were waiting for the bus to take us to the opening ceremony we had the Irish singing Molly Malone, the Aussies performing Waltzing Matilda and we did the Haka. The camaraderie was just amazing.”

Remembering the moment he learned he had scooped his first medal, the 43-year-old said: “I was gob-smacked. I thought I had blown my chances and didn’t even look at the scoreboard but an Aussie tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘you got a bronze’. Then about 10 minutes later one of our guys went to have a look and said, ‘there’s been a change in your position’ and I just thought, ‘oh no’. But I’d got silver! Then a couple of days later I learned at our team meeting that I’d won a bronze medal for gross score.”

Another former Leukaemia & Blood Foundation patient, Garry Cooke, also did his country proud. Garry, who had a bone marrow transplant for multiple myeloma, won two silvers in the swimming.

Ray is no stranger to testing his golfing skills to the limit. He was a participant in the 2007 100 Hole Golf Marrowthon®, one of the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation’s major fundraising events, and raised an incredible $4,125. He also raised more than $14,000 when he went bald for our Shave for a Cure® fundraiser.

Ray added: “We had 20 competitors in Bangkok and we managed to win 3 golds, 9 silvers and 12 bronzes, our best ever result. Two years earlier a team of 15 came back with three medals, so we were really pleased."

“I guess our team was on the small to medium side, compared to other countries – the biggest team was from the UK with 224 competitors!”

“What we would really love is to send a team of 40 to the next Games. If anyone is interested in finding out more, they can just give me a call.”

The 2009 Games will be held in August on the sunny Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. The team hope to find sponsors to fund the trip and competitors will only need to fund their hotel stay before and after the Games.

All the 2007 events listed below are expected to be available in 2009, with the possibility of a few new ones. Registrations must reach the NZ Transplant Games Association by the end of March 2009.

If you are interested in joining the team, you can contact Ray, after hours, on 09 428 4334.

Ray and his fellow competitors would like to say a special thank you to their sponsors, who made it possible for the NZ team to take part. They were: