Barracudas triumph at World Games
As you know our very own Pam Lane and Matt Burrows both competed for Team GB and Northern Ireland at the 2017 World Transplant Games which took place in Malaga last week.
Swimming commenced last Wednesday with athletes from 52 countries taking part. Matt and Pam both performed with absolute class.
Never having been a competitive athlete before her transplant Pam secured medals in three of the 50-59 years womens’ events – 100m Backstroke where she took the Silver; 50m Breaststroke Bronze; and 50m Backstroke Silver. She finished just outside the medals in two of her races with a 5th in the 50m Freestyle and 6th in the 100m Freestyle. What a fantastic achievement on the World stage.
As some of you know Matt was an age group swimmer in his younger days before his kidneys began to fail, so was keen to re-kindle his former sporting success and boy did he do that! He competed in the 40-49 age group where there was tough competition from around the world, but with his closest rival being former World record holder Matthew Castle from the USA. Matthew wasn’t going to be out swum, world record holder or not. He took Gold in all five of his individual events and four of them were in Transplant Games World Record Times. These new World Record Times were in –
50m Freestyle in a time of 28.58;
100m Backstroke in 1:16.12;
100m Breaststroke in 1:24.62 and
50m Backstroke in 34.64
In his 50m Breaststroke he took Gold but missed the World Record by the narrowest of margins, just .19 of a second! No doubt he’ll rectify this next time.
Matt also helped lead Team GB & NI to victory in the 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay and the 4 x 50m Individual Medley relay making his total medal tally over the two days 7 Gold. A Phelps-like performance I think you’ll agree!
Their performances also helped take Team GB and Northern Ireland to the head of the medal table with closest rivals Australia some way behind. To cap the whole experience off, at the Closing Ceremony event Pam was given the honour of going to receive the award for ‘Outstanding Team of the Games’ on behalf of Team GB & NI. Matt was to receive further endorsement of his fabulous individual achievement by receiving the Games award for ‘Outstanding Athlete’. To put this into context he was chosen from over 5000 athletes taking part in 17 sports from 52 countries – a fantastic achievement and something Matt was particularly pleased to receive.
I think you’ll agree they both had a fabulous games and we look forward to seeing them back at the Club next week.
Pam and Matthew are both very clear that without the forethought and generosity of their donors and their families they would not have been able to dream of coming home as World championship medalists. So it’s worth us all giving a moment’s thought about whether we can give someone the gift of life. If you want to find out more about organ donation here https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/about-donation/what-is-organ-donation/