 "Mission
Control" for the XIth World Transplant Games ("XIWTG") is located in
the Golf Center at the future Olympic site at Homebush in Sydney, Australia.
All around this office are the facilities that will be used in the 2000
Olympics; the Aquatic Centre and Track are completed and will be used for
the World Transplant Games.
|
 However,
as you might expect, there are still many areas under construction at the
Homebush site, as Sydney prepares for the 2000 Olympics. (Everywhere
around Sydney you can see the anticipation build, as the countdown to the
Olympics continues. There are billboards and pins saying "three years
to go!" and you can already buy 2000 Olympics souvenirs.) |
| Preparations for the XIWTG began around the time of the last Games,
which were held in 1995 in Machester, England.
Mark Cocks, the Executive Director of this year's Games, says that the Games have "consumed the last two years of his life" but that it has also been one of the most fulfilling parts of his life. We first met Mark Cocks at the 1996 US Transplant Games, at which he made a presentation inviting US athletes to attend the XIWTG. He stated at that time that organ donation rates are very low in Australia, and that the large turnout at the XIWTG would do a great deal to help remedy the situation. |
 |
 |
Organizing the XIWTG is a huge undertaking: aside from the actual athletic competitions, there are accommodations, transportation, meals, entertainment, and many other details to be ironed out for the 1000+ athletes, and the 1000 others attending the Games. Pictured at left are John Hogan-Doran and Dr. Ray Slattery. |
 
|
The XIWTG
depends heavily on the efforts of many many volunteers, to pick up visitors
from the airport, sort meal cards and name tags, etc., some of whom are
members of the New South Wales Athletic Club for the Disabled.|
|
TransWeb's involvement with the World Games began a year and a half
ago, when we first began to work with Maurice Slapak (president of the
World Transplant Games Federation) to publish the online version of the
Journal of the World Translant Games Federation. This year, we are pleased
to be able to send staff and volunteers to provide Internet coverage for
the XIWTG.
Pictured at left is Maurice Slapak with Eleanor Jones. |
| The TransWeb webcast team in Sydney consists of:
Eleanor Jones , webmaster, TransWeb (right in photo) Fran Kelsen , webmaster, TransWeb (center in photo) Bob Garypie , editorial board member, TransWeb Maureen Fox, TransWeb volunteer Bob Fox, TransWeb volunteer (left in photo) Sandy Webster, TransWeb volunteer Bruce Block, TransWeb volunteer |
 |
 |
Bags of t-shirts, information, meal cards, etc. ready to be distributed to the teams as they arrive. |
| Maurice Slapak, president of the World Transplant Games Federation, addressed the team managers when they met to plan for the week's events |  |
 |
We had a great time at the World Transplant Games in Australia, and can't wait to attend the 1999 games in Tilburg, Holland. |
