SPORTSWOMAN and transplant patient Wendy Sincock from Spreyton will play her own part in an amazing summer of sport as she competes to win medals at two events this month.

Wendy will travel to Zagreb to take part in the seventh European Transplant and Dialysis Games, which runs from August 18 to August 25. She will compete in five swimming events, including the 50 and 100 metres freestyle and backstroke, and the 400-metre freestyle, the first time she has tried the event.

Having competed in Zagreb she will then head to Medway in Kent for the Westfield Health British Transplant Games, running from August 23 to August 26.

Staged annually since 1978, the games encourage transplant patients to regain fitness and demonstrate the benefits of transplantation.

The Games have grown year on year after their foundation by consultant transplant surgeon Maurice Slapak.

Around 100 competitiors took part in the first games, a one-day event, and it now attracts more than 600 competitors. The most important message of the event is to promote the need for more people to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Wendy will be one of four competitors from the Exeter kidney unit taking part, and one of almost 1,000 recipients of live-saving organ transplants competing.

Lynne Holt from Transplant Sport UK said: 'We are really looking forward to this year's Transplant Games. Olympic fever has really gripped the nation.

'We will be selecting our team to represent the UK at next year's World Transplant Games, to be held in Durban. Our transplant athletes are the best in the world, running the 100m in 11.16secs and swimming 50m Freestyle in 26secs. However, all our athletes are gold medallists, in that they have all won their race for life.'

Wendy had a kidney transplant almost 14 years ago, and has competed in a number of sporting events, including last year's Transplant Games in Gotenburg, where she won six medals, four of them gold.

To find out more about the NHS Organ Donor Register, visit http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk">www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call 03001 232323.