Evaluation of Multiple and multi-dimensional life transitions of World Transplant Athletes 2023

In our first study entitled "Evaluation of Multiple and multi-dimensional life transitions of World Transplant Athletes 2023" we asked help from 27+ transplant athletes from across the world to share their experiences of preparing for and participating in high intensity sport of cycling and/or sprint triathlon at the World Transplant Games in Perth 2023.

The research team explored the lived experiences of transplant athletes who participated in such high-intensity sports.

What was involved?

We were interested in finding out the experiences of customers/clients who participated in high-intensity sports at the World Transplant Games. We asked transplant athletes to join an online interview and discus their experiences. We conducted this research in July-September 2023.

The Research Team:

• Prof Bart Rienties, Transplant recipient and competitor at WTG Perth, world-leading expert in learning analytics (bart.rienties@open.ac.uk, T: 0044 (0) 1908 32671)

• Dr Elaine Duncan, Sport psychologist (e.duncan@gcu.ac.uk)

• Perrry Judd, Transplant recipient and competitor at WTG Perth, Director Allied Health, The Prince Charles Hospital (perry.judd@health.qld.gov.au) 

• Prof Ben Oakley, Sport performance expert, (ben.oakley@open.ac.uk)

• Dr Liset Pengel, Research Manager at Erasmus MC Transplant Institute (l.pengel@erasmusmc.nl)

• Dr Keetie Roelen, Expert in social policy (keetie.roelen@open.ac.uk)

• Prof Nicholas Topley, Transplant recipient and competitor at WTG Perth, world-leading expert on dialysis treatment and Emeritus Professor (topley@cardiff.ac.uk)

The Open University, Transfit.nl and UK Organ Donation and Transplantation Research Network are leading this research, exploring your experience of receiving the services of the World Transplant Games.

Useful documents

• Consent form (word, pdf)

• Participant Information sheet

• Information leaflet

• (Draft) Questions of the interview

(Forthcoming) Publications and public outputs

• Rienties, Bart ; Roelen, Keetie ; Oakley, Ben ; Duncan, Elaine and Pengel, Liset (2025). Multiple and Multi-dimensional Life Transitions of World Transplant Athletes. In: Jindal-Snape, Divya ed. The Palgrave Handbook of Multiple and Multi-Dimensional Educational and Life Transitions. London: Palgrave MacMillan (In Press).

• Rienties, B., Duncan, E., Judd, P., Oakley, B., Pengel, L., Roelen, K., Topley, N. (Submitted: 03-11-2023). Barriers and facilitators to physical activity: a comparative analysis of transplant athletes competing in high intensity sporting events with other transplant recipients. 

• Rienties, B. Video explaining the purpose of Open Societal Challenge build grant: 

This research project has been reviewed by, and received a favourable opinion from, The Open University Human Research Ethics Committee – HREC reference number: HREC/4787/Rienties