Koen Van Gulck -- Belgium

Age: 32

Transplant: Kidney, 1984

Hometown: Brasschaat (Antwerp) Belgium

Events: Tennis (single & double), athletics (high jump & 4 x 100m)

Athlete's Story: I received a kidney when I was 18 (in 1984). I managed to finish high school and got a degree in Marketing. In 1989,  I married Ingrid (the best thing I ever did) and we have the two loveliest sons in the world: Sebastiaan and Jonathan. I'm working now as a Product Manager for  Belgian aluminum manufacturer.

I got sick four weeks after my sixteenth birthday. An ordinary laryngitis caused a virus infection, that touched my kidneys. A young, sportive boy saw his live as completely broken. Lucky I'm the youngest of 5 children and got a lot of support of my family. (Sometimes I believe they needed more support than I did.) I was on dialysis for two and a half years and always found it an advantage that I could continue my school (this way I had something to do and not too much time to think about my bad situation).

Now I'm living a 100% normal life and 80% of the people I regularly meet do not even know I got a transplant. I do only think about it myself when I'm having fun with the members of the Belgian Transplant Team, considering how lucky we all are being able to do some sport.

The reason I like the Games so much has everything to do with the atmosphere during the Games. One big family having fun and competing to show the world how grateful we are that someone gave us the opportunity to live a normal life

My Message to the World: Try to have as much fun as you can. Even during the hard days!!

Last modified: 11 May 2000