Organ recipient's medal sweep cut short

Being taken to hospital by ambulance prevented Bryan Eckersley from finishing the Australian Transplant Games, but he still brought home four medals.

Heart transplant recipient Mr Eckersley had won a gold medal in tenpin bowling doubles, a gold in the 5km time trial road cycle, a silver in tenpin bowling singles and a silver in petanque pairs before he was taken to hospital in Newcastle with fainting, vomiting and diarrhoea caused by an airborne virus.

Mr Eckersley's sickness prevented him from entering four other events and lightened his potential medal horde.

"I had to withdraw from four other events because of the sickness. Unfortunately, I was one of the few that got the bug and ended up going to hospital by ambulance. That annoyed me, but there was no way I could do it - I would have got at least another two silvers, but it wasn't to be."

Mr Eckersley said it had been two weeks since he contracted the virus and he still hadn't "come right", with his doctor warning it could be another couple of weeks before he was back to normal.

Mr Eckersley has been to two previous World Transplant Games, three Australia games, two New Zealand masters games and one South Island games in the almost seven years since he had his transplant.

"I get a bit serious sometimes, but it's more about the camaraderie and meeting up with people in a similar position to yourself. The thing about the games is everybody has been at death's door - you have to be to get a transplant. We've all got that in common which makes it unique."

Having a new heart meant Mr Eckersley had a new chance at life and he was very grateful to the family who donated him a heart for the "gift of life".

"People are amazed at what ... I've achieved. I go to the Queen Elizabeth Health Centre gym and go mountain biking and have a training schedule which I do."

He said New Zealand was in need of more people like that family as the country had one of the lowest organ donation rates in the developed world.

"Part of me doing this is to promote organ donation, and try to promote the need for people to exercise and stop people having heart attacks."

As a member of the New Zealand Transplant Games Association, Mr Eckersley said he encouraged any organ recipient to get in touch with him and consider taking part in the games.

He can be contacted on brycan35@gmail.com.