A BOVEY Tracey man has brought home three silver medals from the British Transplant Games in Coventry.

Martin Baker, 51, achieved second place in javelin, cricket-ball throw and volleyball at the event in July.

'For me, the Games mean everything,’ Martin said. 'Not only for my mental health and my physical wellbeing but it shows to people that when you’ve had a transplant you don’t just have to sit in bubble wrap and do nothing, you can get back out there and you can take part in sports and you can meet great people. 

'[The Games] has been going 40-odd years, and I’ve done 17 or 18 of those years, and it’s just making friends and seeing people develop. Unfortunately with our sport, you do have the downside where people do pass away or can’t go to the Games because they aren’t medically well enough but then we just go out there and perform even better for the people that can’t be there. 

'It’s one massive family, and from that you can go on to represent Great Britain in the European and World Games.

Martin has had two kidney transplants, his first when he was eight. It was after that he found out about the Transplant Games. His second transplant was in Devon in 2011 but it was not without its complications; everyone who tried to come forward were not a match, and it ended up being a three-way transplant. 

Three people donated, and it was a really complicated surgery because the three who are donating have to go into surgery at the exact same time – if one person was to back out, the whole thing would break down. 

'The more [donors] there are the merrier,’ Martin said. 

'There are so many people out there waiting for an organ transplant and stem cell transplants, and the more people that are made aware of it the better. There’s a reputable donor network and there’s so much support out there for people that give an organ. You get regular check-ups, counselling if you need it and you even get a little pin badge to wear. 

'Donors can compete in the Transplant Games, too. There’s lots of donor registers you can join now, and you can give the gift of life to somebody who is desperately in need of an organ.’

Martin got his second kidney then from a lady in London – she was on the list for her son but was not a match with him. 

'Martin’s had a lot of health problems and it’s obviously been a tricky journey but sport is what keeps him going,’ said Jacqui Baker, Martin’s wife. 

'He loves the Transplant Games and he’s very passionate about it; he describes it as his extended family because everybody there has been through something really significant. Martin was told he would never have a family or grow old, but we’ve got three children and here he is doing this – I put it down to his motivation and passion for sport. 

'He’s a credit to us and we’re very proud of him and everything he does. He never lets it get to him: every time he’s in hospital, he’s back out again and the first thing he asks is when he can get back to work. As soon as he is better he gets straight back to life, kicking a football, walking the dogs and being as active as he can.

'The kids don’t see their dad as being ill at all. He quite literally takes drugs every day to stop his kidney rejecting and to keep him alive but they’ve grown up with it, and they know no different. But they are in awe of his motivation and the fact that he just keeps going. 

'If he wasn’t doing sport, they’d think something was wrong.’