Fed member competes in Transplant Games

18 October 2024

A Derbyshire Police Federation member who competed in three sports at the Transplant Games has described the event as ‘a celebration of life’.

PC Dan Bird represented the Nottingham Transplant Team at golf, darts, and seven-a-side football.

Dan took part in the games, which were held in Nottingham, after receiving a liver transplant in December after being diagnosed with an illness aged 13.

He said: “It’s hard to put into words what the games mean and how I look back on them.

“When you are going through it all you don’t realise that other people have also gone through it, but you meet them at the games and it reminds you it’s not just you.

“It’s a big celebration of life. We are all still alive, living for the moment, and it’s such a good atmosphere.”

PC Dan Bird.

A chance meeting in hospital with another competitor who had the same condition led to Dan taking part in the games, which were held in August.

Dan explained: “He had the same operation as me five or six years ago and took me through it all.

“I’d mentioned that I used to play football, we exchanged numbers and he said that when I recovered he wanted me in the football team.

“That evening I got the phone call to get to hospital and was rushed to Cambridge and we’ve stayed in touch ever since.”

Dan plays golf off a 12 handicap, is a member of the Derbyshire Police Golf Society, and is a previous winner of the national police golf handicap.

Respectable round

He described his round at Wollaton Park Golf Club as ‘respectable’.

“In the men’s golf, 37 points won it and I came in with 33, so I wasn’t miles away,” he said.

“I was happy to be out on a golf course more than anything.

“I entered the darts as it’s not energetic and if I struggle at golf I could cope with that, but I wouldn’t class myself as a darts player at all.”

Dan described how he was ‘roped into’ playing in the football.

“I’d not played for a good 10 years,” said Dan, who has been a serving officer for 15 years and works in Derbyshire Police’s Uniform Task Force.

“The friend I’d met in hospital was playing so I went to watch.

“However, they were a player short and I got roped into playing.

“And now, because of that, I’m playing once a month for the Nottinghamshire Transplant Team in the East Midlands Pan Disability League.

“It’s got me back into it and I’m really enjoying it.”

READ MORE: Fed chair reflects on first few months in the role.