8:00am Sunday 29th August 2010
By James Williams
Swimmer Allegra Martin is celebrating after winning two golds at the Transplant Games just 18 months after a kidney transplant.
Mrs Martin, who lives with her husband, Bill, 68, in Upton Scudamore near Warminster, won golds in both the 50 and 100 metres breaststroke and also competed in the 50 and 100m freestyle and 4x100m relay.
The former BA employee had a successful transplant at Southmead Hospital in Bristol in February last year and represented the hospital at the games, which were held in Bath at the weekend.
Following a diagnosis of polycystic kidneys, a disease which she inherited from her father, Mrs Martin had to give up her job as cabin service director for British Airways after working for the airline for 33 years.
Speaking about the games, she said: “It was an amazing experience. There were some fantastic people there of all ages. I think the oldest competitor was 84.
“Some of the competitors weren’t very well but are still taking part which I found very inspiring.
“Unfortunately I narrowly missed out on bronze in the 50m front crawl so I’ll be working on that for the next games.
“In the 100m front crawl I jumped in and lost my goggles so I lost it straight away but I still carried on.
“I now know what I’ve got to beat. Before I didn’t know the competition, but I now know the standard is pretty high.”
The 56-year-old, who was competing in the 49 to 59 age group, was also a torch bearer at the opening ceremony.
“It was a moving and fantastic ceremony,” she said. “All the teams went in alphabetical order and because we were the hosts we went in last.”
Mrs Martin, who has been swimming three days a week for the past 25 years, is hoping to compete at next year’s games in Belfast and is also keeping her ‘fingers crossed’ to be included in the squad to compete at the World Transplant Games in Gothenburg, Sweden, next year.
She added: “My husband and some friends came along to cheer me on.
“My friend Gilly Kellner who was on dialysis with me at Hammersmith Hospital came along and she loved it so much she wants to compete at next year’s games in Belfast.”
For more information about the Transplant Games visit www.transplantsport.org.uk
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