The ‘flying doctor’ wins two world gold medals

DUBBED the flying doctor, Ron Grainger set not one but two world records winning gold in the 100 and 200m at the World Transplant Games in Perth earlier this year.

What is even more remarkable perhaps is that Ron was competing in the 70-79 age category, 20 years after he received a kidney transplant.

To mark this milestone Ron returned to the Vartry Renal Unit in TUH to present the Renal team with a special presentation of one of his gold medals.

Commenting on the presentation Professor George Mellotte, Consultant Nephrologist said: “This is an incredibly generous gesture by Ron to the Vartry Renal Unit in TUH.

“The gold medal is a very visible and impressive symbol of what can be achieved by someone living with a kidney transplant.

“It is incredibly important to maintain a healthy lifestyle after a transplant and Ron has well and truly gone the extra mile in what he has achieved.

“He is an inspiration to all of the medical team and I am sure our patients getting treatment in our Unit will be equally inspired by his achievements.”

The World record holder and kidney transplant patient worked for many years as a Consultant Urologist at Tallaght University Hospital (TUH), during which time he was also treated by the Hospital’s Nephrology team.

Ron was diagnosed with an inherited degenerative kidney disorder at the age of 32 and was aware that by his early 50s, he would develop end-stage renal failure and require renal replacement therapy, either dialysis or transplant.

Ron says, “As chronic renal failure became a reality, my fitness levels deteriorated significantly.

“Receiving a kidney transplant at the age of 53 changed that.

“Within nine weeks post-transplant, I returned to an extremely busy job as a Consultant Urologist here at TUH.”

Ron had moved to TUH from the old Meath Hospital in Dublin City.

He worked in TUH for 14 years before retiring and has been answering some of our questions following his record-breaking year.