Competitive Transplant Athletes Find Friendship and Inspiration at World Transplant Games

In a remarkable display of sportsmanship and resilience, two transplant athletes, Erik Van Rompaye from Belgium and Elmar Sprink from Germany, have forged an unexpected bond at the World Transplant Games. The event, held in Perth, Australia in 2023, aims to promote organ donation awareness and encourage fitness among recipients.

Van Rompaye, a 54-year-old liver transplant recipient in 2021, and Sprink, a 53-year-old heart transplant patient since 2012, are both seasoned endurance athletes. Prior to their surgeries, they had excelled in various sports, including soccer and marathons.

Before the games, Van Rompaye was aware of Sprink’s reputation as a formidable competitor. However, during the 5K road race and sprint triathlon, Van Rompaye managed to edge out Sprink for the gold medals. On the podium, they engaged in a conversation that revealed their shared history: both had participated in the prestigious IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii, known for its grueling triathlon competition involving a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race, and a marathon-distance run.

“I didn’t know anyone who was doing so much sport after a transplant,” Van Rompaye told CNN Sports, expressing his surprise at encountering another athlete who had not let their surgery hinder their passion for sports.

Since their initial meeting, they have maintained contact, exchanging tips on training, injuries, and aging. They met again in Dresden, Germany for the 2025 World Transplant Games, despite facing new challenges. Van Rompaye’s nerve damage from surgery had slowed his running speed, while Sprink was recovering from a recent back injury that forced him to miss a half marathon.

In Dresden, they competed against each other in the 10km cycling race and sprint triathlon. Sprink won silver medals in both races, as well as the 20km team cycling race. Van Rompaye took the gold medal in the sprint triathlon and placed fourth in the 10km cycling.

The Games attracted approximately 2,200 participants aged 4 to 89 from 51 countries, representing organ donors, donor families, and transplant recipients. The events ranged from track and field to badminton, swimming, and even petanque (a French boules sport).

Sprink has participated in numerous endurance competitions since his transplant, including several World Transplant Games and two 691K Cape Epic mountain bike races. He claims to be the first person with a heart transplant to complete the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii. Van Rompaye’s new liver has enabled him to participate in the European Transplant Games, two Olympic distance triathlons, and the New York City Marathon.

As they prepare for future competitions, their goals remain ambitious. Sprink aims to qualify for another IRONMAN World Championship, while Van Rompaye is training for the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, one of the world’s most prestigious trail races with a distance of approximately 106.3 miles (171km) and an elevation gain of almost 32,940 feet (10,000m).

“It’s about chasing dreams,” Van Rompaye said. “Life is about adapting… It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do with it afterwards.”

Sprink echoes this sentiment, viewing sports as a means to build purpose and health. He believes that regular exercise can help manage common side effects of immunosuppressants, such as increased rates of cancer and diabetes, vomiting, and even hair loss or thinning.

“Focus on something and it makes you not think about the organ stuff so much,” Sprink added.

The World Transplant Games are grounded in decades of research demonstrating that exercise improves transplant recipients’ physical and mental health. This year, Germany was chosen as the host country to address its low organ donation rates compared to other countries. Barriers include long wait times and cultural and policy obstacles to donation.

Almost all solid-organ recipients must take lifelong immunosuppressants, which can impact performance. The Games aim to level the playing field by having immunosuppressed athletes compete against one another. Dr. Patricia Painter, a retired clinical exercise physiologist who studied transplant recipients at UCSF and the University of Utah, has measured how their bodies adapt – oxygen intake, muscle growth, recovery.

“Exercise is medicine,” says Dr. Diethard Monbaliu, an abdominal transplant surgeon in Belgium who was part of Van Rompaye’s team. However, he stresses the importance of moderation to avoid infection and cardiovascular problems associated with strenuous training and immunosuppression.

Transplant athletes are rare, but their presence underscores the need for further research on high-performance athletes. World Transplant Games President Liz Schick, a liver transplant recipient, advocates for both competition and inclusion at the Games.

For Sprink and Van Rompaye, their friendship transcends transplant talk. They find solace in discussing racing plans and training problems rather than dwelling on their organ transplants. However, they acknowledge the importance of mental health and well-being in their post-transplant recovery process.

“After the transplant, go look after your mental health right away,” Sprink advises. “In the beginning, everyone is just happy to be alive. But a lot of people struggle in the post-transplant process.”

As they prepare for future races, the medals matter – but the friendship may matter more. Their experiences demonstrate that rivalry can foster respect and competition can build connections. For those interested, live streaming of the opening and closing ceremonies and track & field events is available on YouTube and wtg.com.