Why Camp Kivita?

There’s been a consistent urge to give back for being alive, for the second chance I’ve received. I’ve been fortunate to give back in some pretty fun and rewarding ways in the past 8 years since my liver transplant. This year I’ve chosen a different cause to support, it’s one that resonates on a personal level….

There is no doubt that while I was waiting for my transplant and the years leading up to it, I felt a bit like an outsider.  None of my friends around me were going through anything like it. I felt as though I was missing out on a lot, and I wasn’t always able to work, go on those vacations, or weekend getaways.  Even if I made plans to do something fun, I’d often end up in the hospital and the plans would fall apart.

Organ failure is as awful as it sounds. When your health is shaky, it becomes the determining factor in almost every decision you make. 

Very soon after I received my liver transplant in 2016, I was 29 years old. I’d come out of the ICU and I felt like a different person. The biggest weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and although I knew I had a long way to go before I was fully recovered, I knew that I wanted to live my life differently than I was before.

I had to sort through all the feelings that came along with what I had been through.  As happy as I was to be alive, I felt confused…like “what do I do now?”  I remember my mom saying to me that I didn’t have to do anything…I just had to take the time to recover.  

Now that it’s been 8 years since my transplant, I think I now understand why I felt that way.

I had been dealing with liver failure since my early 20’s, and was never really sure if I’d live.  Then, once having the transplant, my future all of a sudden looked brighter. I had to shift my mindset. Instead of thinking “I hope I receive a transplant before I die”, there was a period of time that I didn’t know what to think.  Then it became, “how do I say thank you for getting my life back?”

Days after my transplant, I was already thinking about how my life was going to change. March, 2016.

This wasn’t an instance where you just send a thank you card. (I mean, I did do that - I wrote a letter to my organ donors family, sending condolences for their loss,  but also thanking them for their gift, and for choosing organ donation.)

This to me felt like a much bigger gesture was necessary.

Still in the hospital, I learned about the World Transplant Games . I looked at the brochure…

"World Transplant Games, Malaga, Spain 2017”

I wanted to go.  I looked at the sports I could compete in…swimming stood out to me right away. I used to swim growing up and I knew I’d love to get back into the water and that it’d be a great recovery activity for me.  

And it was.  A couple months after my transplant I got a membership at the YMCA and I began swimming every morning. I was eager and determined to compete that following year at the transplant games.  One 25m length at first was exhausting, but slowly I gained back my strength and stamina in the water.

I haven’t stopped swimming since my transplant.  I have fallen back in love with the sport, and the person that it’s helped me to become.  I’ve gained confidence and strength- It’s made me a better person.

My experience at the Transplant Games didn’t stop in 2017. I was fortunate to compete in the Canadian Transplant Games in British Columbia in 2018, World Transplant Games in 2019 in New Castle, England, and the World Transplant Games in Perth, Australia in 2023. 

Some of my friends I’d met in 2017 in Malaga at my first World Games.

I found my tribe at the World Transplant Games. I had discovered that there were people literally all over the world, like me, who had gone through organ failure and had required a transplant.  Being able to connect with others who have experienced similar challenges made me feel less isolated.  Being part of this community has expanded my awareness of how many people even in my own city have had a transplant.  There is something quite powerful about feeling a sense of belonging.  My confidence has grown, and I look forward to competing at the games every 2 years.  I want to keep improving as an athlete, so it keeps me motivated to stay healthy and continue my training, and I look forward to reconnecting with my friends at the transplant games as well.

This summer at the end of July, I’ll be jumping into Lake Muskoka off a dock in Gravenhurst, and I’m going to swim 30km across Lake Muskoka to Port Carling.  This swim should take somewhere around 10 hours…it is now the beginning of May as I write this, so I am deep in my training to prepare for this swim.

Along with my training to complete the swim, I’m also raising money for an important cause…a cause that draws some parallels to my experience as a transplant recipient.

Camp Kivita is a camp in the Muskoka area for kids who have had a transplant, or are waiting for one.  Kids that attend this camp will get to experience a week of fun outdoor activities with their peers who have faced similar health journeys. This transformative week will help kids connect with others, build confidence and memories that will have a lasting positive impact.

Just as I felt alone as a 20 something year old while I was sick and waiting for a transplant, I can imagine how these kids feel.  They also might feel singled out or that they’re missing out on things that kids are doing who don’t have to worry about their health everyday. Similar to the friendships I’ve made at the transplant games, I believe that the time at camp for these young kids provides the same uplifting experience where they can begin feeling proud and positive about the differences they may have.

So, that bigger-than-a-thank-you-card gesture, was this.  I’ve chosen to use my new found strength to pay it forward.  The ability to swim was gifted back to me when I received my transplant.  Because I am able to give back now, I want to do it in a way that can spark inspiration for others who’ve faced something like I have, or to kids who have so much time ahead of them.  I want to show what is possible after a transplant, and help others at the same time.  I’m grateful to be an example of how you can set your mind to a goal or outcome, and with consistency and perseverance, you can achieve just about anything you desire.

If you’re interested in supporting my swim this summer and would like to make a donation to Camp Kivita, check out this link!

There is more information about the swim on the events page tab under 2024 -Lake Muskoka Swim.

Any questions for me, please don’t hesitate to message me on Instagram or Facebook. :)