Three kidney donors will compete as a team in a Dubai triathlon this weekend as living proof that taking part in endurance sport is an achievable target after a major organ donation.
Doug Cutchins will swim 1,500m, while Jordan Bickerstaffe will cycle 40km as Walid Al Otaibi takes on the 10km run during the Mamzar Triathlon on Sunday.
Their relay triathlon team, made up entirely of kidney donors, is aiming to set an example of indomitable spirit.
The donors compete in Ironman triathlons, climb mountains, run marathons and enjoy mountain biking. Their goal on Sunday when they don gear emblazoned with the words Kidney Donor Athlete is to show that a full life is possible on one kidney.
Mr Cutchins, 54, took the decision to donate his kidney to a high school friend 23 years ago and he has shown a person can stay healthy decades after giving away an organ.
He will start the triathlon as part of the relay and then plans to complete the individual triathlon, taking on the bike and run segments.
“My friend from high school was very sick and I made the decision to do a living donation and it’s been a great choice for me. I've had no health issues whatsoever,” said the US citizen who is director for global awards at New York University Abu Dhabi.
He has run 12 marathons, completed two Ironman triathlons and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro – all on one kidney. He runs or cycles for an hour daily, and has the Dubai Marathon in February and the Zurich Marathon in April in his sights.
“I don't think about being a kidney donor most days. I just go about living my life completely normally,” he said. “I see a nephrologist once a year, he orders some labs, waives me off to see me next year. In the UAE we just need to be aware of the heat and watch out for getting dehydrated.”
Smashing stigma
He met Walid Al Otaibi at a distance race a few years ago and they connected with Jordan Bickerstaffe on Kidney Donor Athletes, a Facebook group that celebrates the achievements of donors to show they can accomplish any challenge taken up by a person with both kidneys.
The men are keen to bust misconceptions that donating a kidney will impair health. A 2023 survey showed 73 per cent of people believed donating a kidney would negatively affect health, according to the Kidney Donor Athlete group.
“There is a big stigma that you will be sick for the rest of your life but, honestly, I have never been as fit and as healthy as I am now and that is a consequence of becoming a donor,” said Jordan Bickerstaffe, 31, who gave his kidney in December 2023 to his wife, at the time his fiancee.
“Organ donation shouldn't be something you fear. It's also not something you should ever be forced to do. It has to be your decision as the donor to want to impact someone's life.”
Mr Bickerstaffe was always active - a motorcross enthusiast riding off-road motorcycles, playing paddle tennis and mountain biking but post-donation, he took a conscious decision to eat healthy.
“I realised I needed to look after myself,” said the British national who runs a film production company. “Now 100 per cent, I eat healthier and live better. Becoming a donor pushes you to make that change.”
His donation two years ago places him among the first in the UAE to donate an organ to a non-relative following a change in the law under the National Programme for Organ Donation and Transplantation or Hayat – the Arabic word for life.
Mr Bickerstaffe wants people to understand how a donation is a gift of life.
His fiancee was diabetic since the age of five, placing intense strain on her kidneys leaving her with minimal kidney function before the transplant.
“For me there is no feeling in the world that will ever emulate that,” he said recalling the moment after the surgery when he learnt the transplant was successful.
“When I heard she was fine, I burst out into tears. It’s a feeling of euphoria and now she's living an amazing life. It’s a feeling of complete selflessness and that’s why it’s important to spread the message because it could help a friend, your brother or sister.”
Gift of life to a sibling
This was exactly what Walid Al Otaibi, 42, did when he donated his kidney in 2021 to his sister.
On average a kidney transplant from a living donor lasts about 20 years. When a kidney donated by his mother to Mr Al Otaibi's sister started to fail after 21 years, she was in dire need of a replacement.
It was after the transplant that the Jordanian national took up running and he has since run three marathons.
“I realised a healthy lifestyle is better for my health, even mental health,” said Mr Al Otaibi, a project manager with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. “Before I couldn’t even run a full three kilometres, then I started exercising and picked up to 5km, 10km, half marathons, then the marathon.”
The donors are keen to speak about overall fitness as it relates to wellbeing.
“If you exercise without eating a healthy diet and getting proper sleep, your body will not be able to handle the pressure. You need rest, your body needs the fuel of good food and enough sleep,” Mr Al Otaibi said.
Their main message is that not only is a normal life possible after a major donation, it can motivate people to set healthier goals.
“Someone who thinks of donating to a relative or friend may worry they will not be able to do any physical activity, but that’s not true,” Mr Al Otaibi added.
“The three of us are a clear example that you can live a normal life, work out, participate in sports. We are proof that donating a kidney should never be looked at as an obstacle to a healthy life.”
