History of Team Philadelphia
Since the first event in 1982, Team Philadelphia has had a strong presence at the U.S. Transplant Games, an Olympic-style athletic competition for those who have received organ transplants.
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Team Philadelphia 2010
SlideshowIn 1982, Gift of Life Donor Program, which at the time was known as Delaware Valley Transplant Program, organized and sent a team made up of 25 transplant recipients to Athens, Greece to compete in the World Transplant Games. This first Team Philadelphia effort resulted in one of the largest teams at the World competition, attracted both regional and national medial attention, and developed a great tradition within the region of eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware.
When the National Kidney Foundation announced the organization of the U.S. Transplant Games in 1990 in Indianapolis, Gift of Life and the National Kidney Foundation of Delaware Valley joined forces as the organizers of 1990 Team Philadelphia.
From July to October 1990, transplant recipients were recruited from the region to join the team, which eventually was compromised of 45 heart, kidney, liver and heart/lung recipients ranging in ages from 8 to 65. This was the largest single effort of any team in the nation at the time. Members of Team Philadelphia '90 competed in track and field, swimming, tennis, cycling, table tennis and other events and won 46 gold, silver and bronze medals.
Since 1990, Team Philadelphia has consistently been the largest team at the US Transplant Games and has continued to grow each year.
For the last eight U.S. Transplant Games since 1990, Team Philadelphia has consistently been the largest team and has continued to grow each year. In 2008, Team Philadelphia consisted of nearly 500 athletes, donor family members, living donors and spectators. They were awarded 150 medals making Team Philadelphia not only the largest team, but also the most successful.
The 2010 U.S. Transplant Games are being held from July 30 to August 4 in Madison, Wisc. We plan to keep up the Team Philadelphia tradition and arrive in Madison with the largest team and leave with the most medals won!
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