Steve Wilson, a Katonah, NY, resident and living kidney donor, will compete with Renal Warriors, a National Kidney Registry-sponsored team of nine living kidney donors and five kidney recipients in the August 2-3 Wild West Relay, a 200-mile, 36-leg race through the Rocky Mountains between Fort Collins, CO, and Steamboat Springs, CO. This unique effort will shatter the myth that living kidney donation and transplant impose physical limits on donors and recipients.
Wilson, a financial planner, donated his kidney to a stranger in 2020 at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. He is a member of Kidney Donor Athletes and a five-time Ironman finisher. Wilson has twice summitted Kilimanjaro, most recently in February 2022, with a group of 21 other living kidney donors.
Team members range in age from 26-60, represent diverse racial backgrounds, and hail from eight US states. Through this event, the team will showcase the life-changing impact that kidney donation has on recipients.
“Our goal with this event is to highlight the life-changing effect of living donation on recipients, offering potential donors clear and compelling reasons to consider donating,” said living donor team member Hilary Baude. “Traditionally, raising awareness about living donation focuses on donors, demonstrating that donation does not negatively impact health and that donors can live a full and active life after donating a kidney,” added Baude.
The team showcases compelling stories of gratitude, grace, and resilience, which have been featured in news outlets such as People Magazine and Good Morning America, including:
- A kidney recipient who lost 130 pounds to be eligible for a transplant and now owns a gym and trains other patients in renal failure to live a healthier lifestyle.
- A father/son pair in which the father donated his kidney to his son.
- A kidney recipient who completed an Ironman after transplant.
[Photo Credit: alltrails.com] Wild West Relay - Fort Collins to Steamboat Springs
197.33 mi Elev. gain 15,128 ft
About the National Kidney Registry
The National Kidney Registry aims to save and improve the lives of people facing kidney failure by increasing the quality, speed, and number of living donor transplants while protecting all living donors.
