Courtenay’s Robbie Thompson, who underwent two heart transplants early in life, is competing in cycling and swimming events at the Canadian Transplant Games July 2-7 in Vancouver.
The 20-year-old will bike in the five-kilometre race — in which he won gold at the 2014 Games in Moncton, N.B. — and possibly the 20k. In the pool, he will swim front- and back-stroke events.
Thompson likens the biennial, multi-sport event as an Olympics for transplant recipients and living donors/donor families.
“It’s not really that competitive,” said Thompson, who is moving to Nanaimo to attend university. “It’s more about getting out there and being able to compete. Everybody is happy-go-lucky afterwards. The transplant community is full of vibrant life. It’s a little bit infectious.
“It’s a really awesome crowd of people,” he added. “Although it’s from all around the country, to some degree it’s a tight-woven community. Everybody’s been through similar things. We’re all there to celebrate life, and compete with each other. It’s just generally a good time. At the last Games in Toronto, they had a big spectacle. It’s been getting progressively bigger as I think organ donation gets more and more popular, at least recognized around the country.”
When Robbie had his first transplant as a toddler in 1999, he said the organ donor rate was ridiculously low.
“It’s especially hard, to a degree, for me because I have a very rare blood type. I’ve been around the block a few times.”
But he says the donor rate has become significantly better in the years since his father spoke in parliament, and since his family undertook various promotions.
Each year, Robbie participates in a B.C. Transplant Society program that delivers canisters of popcorn to hospitals involved with organ retrieval. He’s also the guest of honour at an annual charity slopitch tournament in his name.
In 2016, Robbie attended an international pediatric critical care conference in Toronto, where he was asked to speak to the entire children’s ICU ward. He said it was a fantastic — and somewhat weird — experience.
“Afterwards I had all these doctors coming up to take selfies with me, and it was kind of funny. It was a bit surreal.”
