So said Bobbie Norton, Site Manager at the Louisville games and a woman with international and Olympic experience. She went on to explain about the constant running with sudden bursts of speed, especially in singles, together with agility and coordination. While basketball and soccer players, among others, might disagree with her assessment, the higher-level competitors tend to confirm what she said.

Most Americans visualize badminton as a backyard picnic sport, like croquet or horseshoes, but like soccer it is, Bobbie said, "#1 in the rest of the world," especially the Far East and the United Kingdom and numerous places in Europe. Bobbie mentioned a few pockets in the United States, especially New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis as well as Florida, California and Arizona. And of course, her own Louisville area.

The atmosphere at the Convention Center seemed, at first, to reflect the diminished status of badminton in this country. Some games were taking place, but many courts were empty and the few observers were watching quietly. The administrative tables were nearly empty, and many of the brackets only listed a few competitors - some with two who would play for the medal. Two brackets, women 60-69 and 70+, each had one entry; they would play an exhibition match.

Some of the Monday morning matches were of the backyard variety, but some of the players showed the drive, dedication and athleticism of elite competitors in any sport.

Barry Beard, competing for Team Philadelphia at age 30, exemplified that drive. As a kidney recipient seven years ago, he attended the 2002 games in Orlando looking for a sport where he could medal. Badminton looked like a good bet to him because he knew he had good foot speed and hand-eye coordination. He returned to the games in Minneapolis where, with little practice and experience, he won a silver medal. He went on to bronze at the 2005 World Games in London, and he had his sights on a gold here in Louisville.

An athlete all his life, Barry wanted to play professional baseball, but his rare genetic kidney disease eventually limited his growth and his baseball future. He knew what it takes to succeed as an athlete, so in preparation for the 2006 games he worked out extensively, running four to five miles daily and charging up a set of steps and a hill behind the high school in addition to his weight training. Barry also sought and received expert coaching on the finer points of the sport.

His transplant story reflects his dedication to sport. He underwent dialysis at age 23, and after what he described as "a short time," 7-8 months, he received the call. "But I was scared," he said. When the second call came, it was on the same day as the Belmont Stakes. "I'm a big horse racing fan," he said, "so I asked if they could wait until the race was over." The answer was no, of course, and he received the kidney of a 13-year old boy whose sister he will meet in July.

Transplant recipients are no strangers to drive and dedication, and Barry's teammate, Robin Hivner, a.k.a. "Sister Bird," showed a similar qualities. She had already experienced tremendous success in badminton with five gold medals since 1996 along with a bronze in Japan. She smiled when she described the 2006 gold, her sixth, as "my Lance Armstrong attempt," though she was concerned about a recent arm injury that she was icing to make her fit to play.

Surprisingly, with all those golds she said her true love was volleyball, and she only got into badminton at the 1996 games because they did not have volleyball at that time. She was especially keen to defeat Team Southern California who took "her" volleyball gold medal in Minneapolis.

Sister Bird received her kidney 13 ½ years ago after four years of dialysis reduced her healthy body to what she described as "a walking skeleton assisted by a cane." Her new kidney and her dedication to training have brought her back to strength and vigor. She works out on her Bow-Flex and elliptical trainer, alternating with days she competes in a variety of sports.

After living as a single parent for twelve years, Sister Bird met a donor family with whom she was volunteering as a speaker for Gift of Life. One donor family member, Janet Hivner, kept telling her, "You have to meet my son." They went on a blind date 6 ½ years ago, and 3 ½ years ago she married the man she calls "my angel." Her new blended family includes stepson Jason, in Louisville supporting her.

Like many competitors at the Transplant Games, she walks her talk. "Being physical," she said, "means taking this second chance and then running with it rather than sitting back with a 'woe is me' attitude. Notice the trees. Notice the rocks. Who knows how long we have?"