Team Kentucky is heading to Denver in June for the world's largest celebration of organ donation, with 32 competitors ready to compete in the 2026 Transplant Games. The team, representing Second Chance at Life, will participate in the six-day event featuring 20 athletic competitions and more than 60 special programs celebrating organ donation and transplantation.

Held June 18-23 in Denver, the Transplant Games bring together transplant recipients, living donors, donor families and advocates from across the nation. Most Team Kentucky members received transplants at UK HealthCare's Transplant Center, which has served more than 5,000 patients since 1964 and performs more than 200 transplant procedures annually.

Among the competitors is Tom Williams, who received a double lung transplant in 2021 after being diagnosed with interstitial lung disease. Despite being told he would never visit high elevations, Williams is training for the 20-kilometer bike race in Denver—a feat he credits to his determination to push himself. "I wanted to do something that challenged me," he said.

Three siblings, Chuck, Dan and Sandy Gutenson, exemplify family bonds strengthened through transplantation. All three were diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and received kidney transplants at UK HealthCare. "It encourages us to get back in shape," Chuck Gutenson said of the games, noting that medication and recovery often make it easy to abandon fitness routines.

Sallie Wilson, who has managed Team Kentucky since 2011, connects the games to her own family's deep commitment to organ donation. Her son registered as a donor at age 18, a decision she said saved her life when he tragically died in a car accident in 1996. Wilson herself is both a kidney and pancreas transplant recipient.

The games have drawn support from local businesses. Medicinal Whiskey Charities recently donated $20,000 to support the team's journey.