A TREGARON athlete has won four gold medals and broken two world records at the World Transplant Games.

Lewis Evans returned from Australia with plenty to celebrate after representing the victorious Team Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The 30-year-old competed in 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay and took home the gold medals and two Transplant World Records in the 200m and the 4x400m relay.

After winning a total of 288 medals, Team GB & NI finished at the top of the medal table, with Australia second and Thailand third.

The World Transplant Games took place in Perth from 15-22 April and saw over 2,500 transplant recipients, live donors, donor families and supporters travel to Australia from all over the world to compete, support and most importantly raise awareness of the lifesaving benefits of organ donation.

Lewis joined athletes from 45 countries across the globe as they took part in over 20 sporting and social events, coming together to celebrate the gift of life and demonstrate the importance of staying healthy and active post-transplant.

Lewis was 22 when he was diagnosed with end stage renal failure. He went on dialysis for four hours, three times a week for over a year before his mother was found to be a match and underwent the life-saving transplant surgery in 2017. Since then, Lewis has been competing in athletic events and has won several medals at the British, European and World Transplant Games.

Lewis said: “It was an amazing opportunity to represent Team GB in the World Transplant Games in Perth and coming back with four gold medals and two Transplant Games records makes all the hard work I put in worth it!

“The support I have received to get me out to Perth has been amazing.

Lewis on the podium
Lewis on the podium (Submitted)

“The games are all self-funded and I was really shocked when I received the huge support from everyone, and I would like to thank everyone who has helped me get my achievements in Perth.”

Team GB & NI was the biggest team in attendance after the host country, Australia, and returned home with 121 gold, 96 silver and 71 bronze medals, including a number which were won by junior team members and live donors.

The team is represented by Transplant Sport, the largest UK charity raising awareness of organ donation and the founder of the British Transplant Games, a sporting event held annually in cities across the UK.

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.

"It’s been a pleasure to be a part of Team GB & NI and do this on a global scale in Australia and we want to say a big thank you to our hosts in Perth."

David Nix, founder of the Donor Family Network and Trustee for Transplant Sport, said: “The Donor Family Network is so proud to be able to help a small number of athletes and give them the opportunity to compete as part of the international transplant community.

"By them competing they are promoting the lifesaving benefits of both donation and transplantation.

"The 2023 World Games was the perfect celebration of the gift of life and way to say thank you to donors and their families.”

For more information on the work that Transplant Sport is doing in the UK, visit: https://transplantsport.org.uk/