Transplant Games 2026
Every other summer, thousands of athletes, families and supporters gather from across the country for a different kind of competition — one defined not only by speed, strength or endurance, but by resilience, gratitude and the extraordinary gift of life.
The Transplant Games of America is a powerful celebration of second chances.
For many, the journey to the starting line began long before the opening ceremony — through hospital rooms, waiting lists and moments when the future felt uncertain. At the Games, those journeys converge, and the focus shifts from surviving to thriving. In pools, on tracks and across fields, transplant recipients of all ages come together not to be defined by their medical histories, but to be recognized for their strength and spirit.
Each competition, Kentucky is represented by a remarkable group of patients whose stories reflect the heart of the Transplant Games. They are athletes and advocates who have turned life-saving transplants into opportunities to push boundaries and embrace new possibilities. They carry with them not only their own personal victories, but the legacy of the donors who made those victories possible.
Tom Williams
After being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, Tom Williams has dedicated significant time to his passions for reading and bike riding. Following a double-lung transplant surgery, Tom is competing against other cyclists in the 2026 Transplant Games in Denver at 73-years-old.
Tom said that when he was diagnosed in 2018, he had to retire from his research company in Houston and move back to Kentucky with his wife Gale. After his transplant at UK HealthCare, it took determination — and a lot of time — to build up his health again. While traveling out West, he hiked to an elevation of 11,000 feet just outside of Breckenridge, Colo. When he hiked to the top, he had a special moment on that mountain. Tom said it was at that moment, “I knew I could do it.”
His additional passion for reading has transformed into something truly inspirational. “I wrote a book, Incurable Lungs. I donate 100% of the proceeds to either Donate Life Kentucky Trust or the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, which really helped me through the process of understanding how to get along and survive,” Tom said.
Chuck Gutenson
Chuck Gutenson shares the diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease with his two siblings, Dan and Sandy. The three of them have all received kidney transplants from UK HealthCare and have competed in the Transplant Games alongside each other.
At age 31, Chuck was granted a kidney transplant in 1997. Now, he is set to compete in running, swimming and biking events at the 2026 Transplant Games.
“The thing that makes this worthwhile is that it encourages us to get back in shape,” he said.
While competing in the games is an achievement to look forward to, Chuck is looking ahead toward another milestone in his health journey. “Next year will be the 30th anniversary of having a transplant,” he said.
As this anniversary approaches, Chuck reflects on what the games mean to him. “You know, life is a series of interconnections that we make with each other,” he said. “This is just one more way in which we get to know each other more deeply and enjoy each other's presence.”
Sallie Wilson
Sallie Wilson is the backbone of Team Kentucky. Before she knew she would need a kidney transplant of her own, Sallie worked as a donor family liaison for the 2006 games hosted in Louisville.
Wilson’s involvement prior to her own diagnosis is a result of her own son’s generosity. After he passed away in a car accident, her son became an organ donor at the University of Kentucky. She said her son chose to be an organ donor without influence from anyone else. “I live every day for him,” she said.
The impact of this community has been substantial to Sallie. “I've been together with this group, most of these people since 1998,” she said. This community lifted her after her first transplant in 2007 led to seven years of her body rejecting the organ. In 2015, Sallie received her second kidney transplant.
Now, she has a passion for The Games derived from a set of circumstances uniquely her own. “I live every day for this work. I just absolutely love this group,” Sallie said.
Linda Baxter
For Linda Baxter, the Transplant Games are more than a competition. They symbolize a second chance at life.
Linda was listed for a liver transplant on Aug. 27, 2018. Alongside 100,000 other hopeful Americans on the list, she waited for the call.
In August 2019, Linda received her life-saving liver transplant. Following her procedure, she spent the next two months recovering in Lexington under the care of her UK HealthCare team.
Now, she is grateful for her second chance and to compete in the Transplant Games, where others understand this same feeling all too well. “The main thing is going and showing support, you know, not just for our team, but for everybody,” Linda said. “We're all connected.”
Tom and Debbie Coleman
The gift of a transplant not only impacts the recipient, but the selfless individual who shares a piece of themselves.
While Tom Coleman was not a match to be his wife’s donor, he was able to help his wife, Debbie Coleman, receive a donor organ through the Living Kidney Donor Program at the UK HealthCare Transplant Center. This program allows family members of those in need of an organ donation to donate their own to a stranger in exchange for their loved one receiving a voucher for a donor organ.
For Tom, being an organ donor has been life changing. Not only because it gave a loved one another chance at life, but because it allowed him to make a difference in the life of a complete stranger. He plans to do the 5K, play golf, cornhole, pickleball, and darts at the Transplant Games.
Debbie is competing in the 2026 Transplant Games with her new kidney. “I’m competing in darts, cornhole and Texas Hold'em,” she said.
However, these games will be special. “We've been supporting this group for over 20 years, and this will be the first year we both get to participate,” Tom said. “So it’s going to be emotional, I'm sure.”
