Aylesbury Vale woman claims five gold medals at World Transplant Games

An Aylesbury Vale woman captured five goal medals at the 2023 World Transplant Games.

Flora King, 24, from Granborough, had a kidney transplant from her father at the age of 12, after being diagnosed with chronic kidney failure.

She won her medals in Perth, Australia, last month where she was among over 2,500 transplant recipients, live donors, donor families and supporters at the flagship event for transplant sport.

Flora was extremely active and a keen hockey player, but in 2009 she began to feel extremely ill, suffering from extreme fatigue and sickness. Shortly after, a biopsy sample showed that her kidneys were only working at only 20 per cent of the level that she needed.

She was rushed to Great Ormond Street Hospital and told by doctors that she needed a kidney transplant within the next two years to survive. Luckily, her dad was found to be a match and donated one of his kidneys to her in 2010.

Her five gold medals came in the singles and doubles tennis competitions, the cricket ball throw, squash, and javelin.

Flora was part of a 120 transplanted athlete team representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland. They captured a total of 288 medals, the most achieved by any nation. Host country Australia had the second-highest points total, and Thailand the third.

Charity, Transplant Sport, plays a big role in the games, having created the UK-version of the sporting event.

Dr. Paul Harden, one of Team GB & NI’s doctors, board member of the World Transplant Games Federation and chair of Transplant Sport, said: “We are so incredibly proud of each and every athlete that travelled to Perth to compete on behalf of their country. Many of these people have defied the odds, experienced near death situations and battled long illnesses, to see them taking part in sport with transplant communities from across the world is a true inspiration.

“At Transplant Sport our main aims are to, of course, raise awareness of organ donation, but also use sport as a vehicle to encourage families to have crucial conversations and share their organ donation wishes.”