Jade is ready to serve up challenge

Dec 4 2008 by Dave Bettley, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

GOLDEN girl Jade Carr is staging another badminton tournament so she and Great Britain team-mates can compete at the 2009 World Transplant Games in Australia.

Five winner’s medals at last year’s event in Thailand helped the inspirational 15-year-old to land the Young Sportsperson title at the Halton Sports Awards in September.

The all-round athlete, who underwent a heart transplant 11 years ago, is organising the badminton competition on Sunday, December 14 to fundraise for the trip Down Under.

A similar event in August brought in £390.

Jade, who lives in Higher Runcorn and attends Helsby High School, is to host the follow-up event at Frodsham Leisure Centre, where she is a badminton club member.

Jade is actively involved with Transplant Sport UK (TSUK), which through organising sports and social events for transplant recipients highlights the benefits of organ donation.

She also belongs to Halton & Frodsham Harriers Athletics Club and Halton Table Tennis Club.

The badminton competition, from 11am-2pm, is open to all – the deadline for entry, at £5 per player, is Sunday, December 14.

Jade’s mum Lynne Carr said: “We are grateful indeed to receive any support, large or small.

“All the funding that Jade receives will help towards her travel and training costs from now until next year’s World Transplant Games, being held on the Gold Coast in Australia.

“All of the sporting competitions that she is participating in, even at national and international level, have to be funded by the athletes themselves.”

Jade’s transplant was performed at Harefield Hospital by world-renowned surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Jacoub.

She has also overcome the fitting of a cardiac pacemaker six years ago to triumph at the highest level.

Jade won individual gold for badminton, table tennis, and long jump in Bangkok and was a member of the triumphant British women’s 4x100m relay team.

Multiple titles at British Transplant Games and European Heart and Lung Games in France have taken the total medal tally of the teenager, who is in her 11th competitive year, to 42.

Entry forms for the badminton competition are available by telephoning Paul Johnson on 07851 952727 or Frodsham Leisure Centre on 01928 733953. Alternatively, e-mail pjohnson_sportscoach@hotmail.co.uk or lcarr1962@aol.com

Jade’s charity website is at www.justgiving.com/jadesmadovacatz

To contact UK Transplant, visit www.uktransplant.org.uk or telephone 0845 6060400.