The Dutch
World Transplant Games
Foundation
INTRODUCTION
First I want to thank the people of TransWeb for their hospitality, cooperation and help. By giving us space on their site on transplant athletics we can give information on an international level as well as on a national level. We can give people the address of this site and open a world of information. Not only on transplant athletics but also on other interesting information concerning transplantation.
 

HISTORY AND GOALS
In the years 1978 until 1993 the delegation of the Dutch team was organized by the Kidney Patients Association Sports Committee (being the largest group of transplant recipients). The Dutch World Transplant Games Foundation was founded in 1993. Initiator was, among others, mr.Chel Mertens former member of the First Chamber of the House of Parliament and vice-chairman of the Kidney Patients Association LVD and mr. Piet Spijkers, present secretary of the DWTGF. Present chairman is mrs. Elly van de Vecht, transplant coordinator, vice-chairman is mr. Klaas Kooiker former town-clerk of the city of Amsterdam.

The main goal of the foundation is to stimulate and activate organ recipients to do some form of athletics (sports). People with all kinds of transplantation as well as pre-stage transplantation are represented in this foundation. By organising and getting it into the media we want to give people who are on the waiting-list hope for the future. Beside that promoting donor awareness is also a main objective. We do this by showing the good quality of life after transplantation through the practice of athletics at a high level. The foundation does so on national and international levels, especially by participating in the World Transplant Games. Beside the organisation of the selection, training and delegation of the Dutch team, the foundation organises sporting events for organ recipients and people who are on the waiting-list. This is also important in trying to let the different patient organisations cooperate more closely together on this subject. It is also her job to inform people about the relationship between sports and transplantation and see to it that this information reaches the transplantation centers.

The foundation receives moral as well as financial support from the Dutch Kidney Foundation, the Dutch Heart Foundation the Asthma Fund, the Dutch Liver and Gut Foundation and the Queen Wilhelmina Fund (Cancer).

THE 1997 DUTCH TEAM
This year we have managed to bring together a large team, that is for Dutch understanding, of 35 athletes and 4 accompanying people. I will introduce them to you starting with the accompanying group:

The athletes of the Dutch Team with age-category, type of transplant, and sports event:
  1. Eric Spierenburg (SE), kidney tx., athletics and volleyball
  2. Eddy van't Hoff (VE), kidney tx., tennis and volleyball
  3. Herman Stam (SE), kidney tx., athletics and volleyball (Coach)
  4. Bas van de Ruit (SE), kidney tx., badminton, squash, 5.000 m., volleyball
  5. Atty Reiber (VE), heart tx., table tennis, badminton, volleyball
  6. Rein Raaymakers (AD), kidney tx., athletics, volleyball
  7. Ellen Dûermeijer (SE), lung tx., table tennis, badminton, volleyball
  8. Piet de Jong (VE), kidney tx., tennis, volleyball
  9. Phily Geraards (SE), kidney tx., athletics, badminton, volleyball
  10. Jos Dijkers (SVE), kidney tx., athletics, cycling, squash, badminton and volleyball
  11. Jan Stroomberg (SE), liver tx., tennis, squash and volleyball
  12. Robert Stoelenga (AD), lung tx., table tennis, badminton, volleyball
  13. Willy Slotboom (SVE), heart tx., badminton, swimming, volleyball
  14. Piet Haak (VE), heart tx., swimming, badminton, volleyball
  15. Sandra Yma Jansen (AD), kidney tx., swimming, badminton
  16. Margaret Koppejan (SE), bone marrow tx., swimming, badminton, cycling, volleyball
  17. Richard Kockx (AD), liver tx., squash, badminton, volleyball
  18. Cees Runderkamp (VE), kidney tx., bowling
  19. André Cordes (VE), kidney tx., bowling, table tennis, volleyball
  20. Mirjam van der List-Bos (VE), kidney tx., swimming
  21. Jac Martens (SE), kidney tx., athletics, badminton, volleyball
  22. Leo Starren (VE), kidney tx., badminton
  23. Rut de Roller (AD), kidney tx., golf, tennis
  24. Tim Sinel (AD), kidney tx., cycling, tennis, volleyball
  25. Marlie Habets (SE), kidney tx., athletics, badminton, volleyball
  26. Margreet de Ruyter (SVE), kidney tx., swimming
  27. Koen Swinkels (AD), liver tx., athletics, tennis, table tennis
  28. Richard Advocaat (AD), kidney tx., athletics, cycling, squash, volleyball
  29. Aris Jan van Ek (SE), kidney tx., swimming
  30. Martin Coolen (AD), kidney tx., table tennis, tennis
  31. Ben Dijkman (VE), heart tx., athletics, table tennis, badminton, volleyball
  32. André Lassooij (SE), lung tx., table tennis, badminton, volleyball
  33. Martijn Nobel (AD), kidney tx., athletics, cycling, table tennis
  34. Marieke van Dijk (AD), kidney tx., swimming
  35. Chel Mertens (SVE), kidney tx., table tennis
The main part of this group is considered to be probable medalists or having a good chance to be at least finalist.
If this information gives you any reason for questions or if you have other kind of questions please contact me by sending your e-mail to: a.j.vanek@med.ruu.nl

This information was provided to TransWeb by Aris Jan van Ek.

Return to the 1997 World Transplant Games web page
Return to the Transplant Athletics section of TransWeb
top of this page Copyright 2000 The Regents of the University of Michigan TransWeb's privacy policy TransWeb's front page Nothing on TransWeb is intended as medical advice! Please contact us for permission to reprint material on TransWeb. About TransWeb
Last modified: 11 May 2000