A long and amazing day on Lake Muskoka. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the Organ Donor Swim and for the incredible moral and financial support we received. Please check out the coverage of this great event by Mary Beth Hartill. 6 swimmers, myself included, relayed 30km across Lake Muskoka from Gravenhurst Wharf to Port Carling (Hanna Beach). #community

With the end of winter months, I've been reminded that life comes in ebbs and flows. Highs and lows. I’ve felt great and I’ve felt poorly. But isn’t that life, in general, for everyone? I’ve become very focused on strength, health and wellness after transplant, not only for myself but for all transplant recipients. I have personally discovered that the stronger my body and mind are, the quicker I am able to bounce back from setbacks and post transplant complications. My desir

The XXI World Transplant Games have come to an end. I am extremely happy with the results: 3 new world records, 3 gold medals, a silver medal and a bronze medal. I am mostly satisfied with my performances which feels great as I put in many months of dedicated training for the event. But it was the people I met that really made the experience special. I met athletes from many different countries that had gone through a transplant experience as difficult as the one I faced - s

Later this month I'll be travelling to Malaga, Spain as a member of Team Canada to compete in the World Transplant Games. I have been training hard for my swimming events and expect to achieve swim times faster than I ever have before in my life. I have my eyes on the medal podium and I can see myself standing there. My local team, North Toronto Masters Swim Club has raised my swim efficiency, technique and speed well for the short time I have been training with them. I'm put

This past weekend was a busy one. No question. Sometimes weekends like this past one have left me feeling overwhelmed but as I mentioned a f

Recently, I was able to contribute to an exciting new initiative called The Organ Project. Spearheaded by liver transplant recipient and owner of the Ottawa Senators, Eugene Melnyck, the project’s mission is simple: to save lives by ending the organ transplant waitlist. By tapping into the reach of social media and influencers in the sports and entertainment sectors they hope to expand and target new audiences. I sat down with the project organizers for a recorded discussion

Sometimes you hear a word or an expression for the first time and then, it seems, you see or hear it everywhere you go. You start to wonder how this was never part of your experience before. Since my liver transplant I’ve been more aware of stories in the news, online and in everyday conversations of people receiving a second chance at life through organ transplantation. A story about a father who gets to witness the birth of his first child. Mothers who get to become grandm

The Stouffville Sun-Tribune has published a nice write-up about what I've been up to lately, featuring details on the GOAL Embassy Donor Mosaic Project. www.yorkregion.com/sports-story/6819688-stouffville-native-splash-hit-at-transplant-games-with-five-gold-medals My hope is that some readers will be inspired to register as potential donors and to participate in the project. Stories of real organ donors and real recipients bring awareness of the importance of finding out what

I was happy with my recent accomplishments at the 2016 Canadian Transplant Games and now I need to look forward at what's next. I'll be making sure that I set myself up for similar success at the 2017 World Transplant Games which will be held in Málaga, Spain in June. As it's s a bigger event, my preparation will need to mirror the jump in competition. I am currently looking into the best fit for a competitive masters swimming team in Toronto to start training with mid to la

A year ago, I would not have thought anything like this was possible. I'm back from the 2016 Canadian Transplant Games with 5 Gold medals! A large part of my recovery was based around the goals I set for myself at this event. I wanted to break the world records set over the years at various international transplant games. I grew up as a competitive swimmer and I knew, with work, they might be achievable. I am very excited to say I achieved 4 world records. They will be verifi