About the Games

Australia’s most inspirational sporting event, the Australian Transplant Games is held every two years. The Games provide living proof of the success of transplantation and encourage all Australians to discuss organ and tissue donation with their families.

Many transplant recipients use the Games as motivation to a greater end goal, setting various health and fitness targets along the way as they train.

The Australian Transplant Games is also the country’s largest awareness activity for organ and tissue donation. Transplant Australia boasts an enviable record of influencing public understanding of organ and tissue donation through the staging of the Australian Transplant Games.

The Australian Transplant Games were first held over three days in Melbourne in 1988 with 150 recipient competitors competing in Tennis (at the Kooyong courts), Golf, Table Tennis, Lawn Bowls and for children, Quoits.

Thereafter, the Australian Transplant Games have been held every two years in different cities in different states or territories of Australia.  The Games were due to be held in Launceston in 2020 but were cancelled due to COVID, the only time the Games have not been held.

The Games cover a multitude of sports and recreational activities, giving individuals the opportunity to try sports they have not participated in before.

The spirit of the Australian Transplant Games is to encourage individuals to be involved in a sporting competition, and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Many competitors previously may not have been able to engage in any sort of sporting activity due to their illness. The quality and determination of competitors has led to many participants being selected to represent Australia at the Australian Transplant Games.