Gift of Life’s Team Philly competes in the Transplant Games of America

Not all of Philadelphia’s competitive athletes are across the pond in London right now. Some headed west in search of gold, and not the kind you mine.

At the 2012 U.S. Transplant Games, recipients of lifesaving heart, liver, lung, kidney, pancreas, and bone marrow transplants compete in biannual, Olympic-style events.

This year, sixty-five transplant recipients, seven living donors, and sixteen donor families from Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware will be participating in the games as part of the Gift of Life’s Team Philadelphia 2012.

Among them is 14-year-old Gabriel Clark, a Philadelphia County resident who received a kidney transplant from his father when he was two-and-a-half years old. The kidney he received is to this day, his sole functioning kidney. Gabriel will be competing in the bowling, track and field, and basketball events at the games.

Other athletes will test their abilities in swimming, volleyball, and tennis.

And they do it in the name of life: to remember those who saved a life by donating and to help raise awareness for the cause.

During the 2010 Transplant Games, which were held in Madison, Wisconsin, Team Philadelphia medaled in all athletic events, tying for top honors with 129 medals.