The USA Transplant Olympic Games

The Transplant Olympic games are in Pittsburgh, PA this year and our dad is going! This will be the second time he has attended the games. Two years ago they were in Louisville, Kentucky! Hoomans who have had transplants (kidney, heart, lung, bone marrow, liver, etc) and donor families attend these games. Mom has never been to them and the last time in 2006 our sissy went with dad and she said that it was AWESOME!!! Two years ago our dad won the bronze medal in the discus event!

Mitch has dad's medal on and I'm modeling this years t-shirt with the logo for Team Connecticut on it! It's a lighthouse!

Our dad is participating in 3 swimming events, the discus and the shot put! This is the discus! We're not sure how much it weighs but 2 years ago dad threw it 75.3 feet so we're hoping that he tosses it even farther this year! Maybe dad can give Mitch a few pointers and he can throw it for Lenny's paw-limpics!

Dad would have never won this medal if it wasn't for Coach DaveyDo! He made the hour trip down to train with dad every single week! Dad's coach is a true friend and a great trainer! Dad's gonna make you proud, Coach DaveyDo! We wish you could have gone to the games with him but we know you'll be with him in spirit!

This is the shot put. I think dad said that it weighs 12 pounds! Doesn't it look like a fun ball to play with? It's VERY heavy! Can we add this event too, Lenny?!

The transplant games have an opening and closing ceremony just like the olympic games that we're all familiar with! The opening ceremony is today and then it's - let the games begin!

One of the fun things that the team members do is exchange pins. The object is to try and get as many pins as you can from each state that's represented at the transplant games! This years' pin is the blue one right over where it says Team Connecticut on the cap. It's a blinkie pin and when you turn it on the lighthouse flashes like the real thing! It's very cool! Last years pin is under the Team Connecticut. It's a long covered bridge that's located in the town of Cornwall (about an hour from us).

Wednesday morning we dropped dad off at the Aireport. He left a bit early to visit with friends in the area. The Games start today and dad has swimming events on Sunday and his field events on Monday. He wasn't home for my birthday but he had already taken us out to the Glenwood for burgers and hotdogs and fries and onion rings and we had ice cream a couple of times before he left so dad has already treated us pretty darn good for our birthday, right, mom?!

Dad called last night to let us know that his hotel overlooks the football field where the Pittsburgh Steelers play! Too bad football season is still a couple of months away!

If we get any updates from Pittsburgh, we'll let you all know how dad is doing at his events!

So until next time..........

Love ya lots,

Maggie and Mitch