Crookwell's Michael Kennedy wins two bronze medals in the World Transplant Game

The bronzes at the event from April 15 to 21 came in the singles and pairs event of the tenpin bowling and the 61-year-old said the week was a great experience.

"I loved being able to catch up with friends, meet new people and listen to their stories as well as tell them mine," Kennedy said.

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This was the 10^th games for the Crookwell resident, who also made the quarterfinals of the lawn bowls.

His first was in Sydney in 1977.

The two bronze medals brought his medal tally to four golds, seven silvers and five bronzes which all came in either tenpin bowling or lawn bowls.

To participate in the games, Kennedy said there was a criterion that competitors had to meet.

"Because Australia is only a small country, you just have to nominate to go," he said.

"The only restriction is you have to be on rejection tablets or have a transplant."

Kennedy, who is healthy as he ever has been, qualified as he had a double lung transplant 28-years-ago due to cystic fibrosis and explained the difficulties of living with the disease.

"You'll always have it as it's in your genes, although the transplanted lungs are immune," he said.

"I'm not as fit as a lot of people and I get tired very easily.

"I also have to take medication three to four times a day, but other than that, I do everything everyone else does."

The games are a celebration of a second chance at life, demonstrating the success of transplant surgery and promoting the need to raise public awareness of organ and tissue donation.

Some of the other sports include athletics, swimming, badminton, darts, basketball, golf and cycling and it gets very competitive.

The next World Transplant Games will be in 2025 in Dresden, Germany and Kennedy will be hoping to take part in that.

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