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Martin Hee
Martin Hee with his medals at the Transplant Games. He was recently named 2003 OIA “Coach of the Year,” from more than 1000 candidates.

In 1994 Martin, a retired firefighter, became very ill and was put on dialysis. Before getting sick he was active in life, exercising daily and volunteering as a coach at a local high school. About 14 months after being on dialysis Martin received a kidney transplant and is back to living a healthy life. Martin remarked: “I want to be a role-model – to prove that transplants work. I try to think positive and have hope and am grateful that I am not suffering from my illness. I'm enjoying my retirement, time with my family – growing old with my wife and spending time with my six grandchildren. Without the support of family and friends, my recovery would have been difficult. I believe in life there is a reason for everything – sports have been a life-long activity for me and transplantation has not stopped me from competing.”