Mr Michael MacKinnon (91-95) has joined the College’s list of elite athletes after his recent appearance at the World Transplant Games. He tells us his story.
YOU TOOK PLACE IN THE WORLD TRANSPLANT GAMES FOLLOWING A DUAL KIDNEY TRANSPLANT. WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THE GAMES?
The World Gameswere held here in Perth. It was actually my second Games, so it was an incredible experience to play host to the world and race in my hometown this time, in front of my family and friends.
IN WHICH SPORT DID YOU REPRESENT AUSTRALIA?
I was the Swimming Team Captain. It was my role to create a team culture that all the swimmers were proud to be part of. We raced hard, supported each other and, most importantly, had fun. It was a challenging role as I was responsible for a variety of transplant athletes, ranging from 12 years old through to 83 years old!
OBVIOUSLY, YOU’VE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME WITH YOUR HEALTH. WHEN DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER YOU HAD KIDNEY ISSUES?
My transplant journey began way back when I was 21 years old. I had a consult with my doctor, who predicted that by the time I was around 30 I would experience end-stage kidney failure. From that appointment, I commenced taking medication and kept living life to the full – doing the obligatory London-Europe sojourn many Australians do. Fast forward to just before I turned 30 years old, I experienced the predicted kidney failure. That lead to dialysis sessions three times a week while the testing began
for a possible kidney donor.
YOU MANAGED TO FIND A DONOR – DO YOU KNOW WHO IT WAS?
It was my beautiful mother, Pam. As a result of organ donation from my amazing Mum, I received six amazing years of life. I got to see the weddings of my sister and my brother, I fell in love, travelled the world, became a godfather. Unfortunately, my transplant failed in April 2014 and I was back on dialysis. I had a love/hate relationship with dialysis. I loved the way it made me feel better but hated the treatment which saw me hooked up to a machine for four or five hours, four times a week.
THAT MUST HAVE BEEN REALLY EMOTIONALLY DRAINING.
With no end in sight, it was a dark time for me as you neverknow if another transplant will come. I was on dialysis until December 2015 when I received ‘The Call’. A kidney had become available. The surgery occurred on 20 December 2015, then I began my recovery. In the end, I was discharged Christmas Day – my own Christmas miracle! I am now coming up to eight years post my second transplant.
WITH YOUR HEALTH IMPROVING, HOW DID YOU GET INTO COMPETITIVE SWIMMING?
I began swimming in February 2016 as part of my recovery from my second transplant. I had been completely cut open and needed to rebuild my core. When I began swimming I couldn’t swim more than 200m without stopping. Three months post-transplant I competed with a team in The Port to Pub event.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT SWIMMING?
I love swimming as it helps me completely switch off. All I have to focus on is my next stroke. Also, there is always something to work on and improve. The early morning banter is always full of classic comments and the coffee, post swim, is a winner.
LOOKING AT YOUR SCHOOLDAYS IN THE CLASS OF 95, WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU HAVE OF YOUR TIME AT WESLEY?
Memories from Wesley are many. The early morning rise for rowing training with many amazing sessions on the water, where as a crew it all came together; the teachers who always encouraged me to do my best, particularly Mr Allen, Mr Woodroofe, Mrs Koulianos, Mr Aubrey, Mr Rogers, and Mr Ware. And I’ll never forget the school camp of a lifetime in The Pilbara with Mr Sofoulis. This got everyone out of their comfort zone and opened our eyes to the world beyond Perth.
WHAT DID YOU DO AFTER GRADUATION?
When I left Wesley, I started a pre-apprenticeship course in Plumbing and Gasfitting. After 12 months in this course, I then commenced my apprenticeship with Longreach Plumbing. My time at Wesley set me up for my career. I learnt that the harder I worked the luckier I got. I also made many lifelong friends from my time at Wesley and continue those many friendships to this day.
OF ALL THE THINGS YOU’VE ACHIEVED SO FAR, WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
I am most proud of how people talk about me. I often hear from others how I always treat people with kindness and make them feel good. I am also a very proud Uncle Mikey to three nieces and three nephews and a godfather to five children.
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