{"id":2251,"date":"2025-10-25T16:01:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T16:01:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theme-dev.cmsmasters.net\/magazine-main\/the-17-best-mascaras-of-all-time\/"},"modified":"2025-10-29T11:11:16","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T11:11:16","slug":"dubai-three-kidney-donors-join-for-triathlon-claim-organ-donation-doesnt-weaken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/25\/dubai-three-kidney-donors-join-for-triathlon-claim-organ-donation-doesnt-weaken\/","title":{"rendered":"Dubai: Three kidney donors join for triathlon, claim \u2018organ donation doesn\u2019t weaken\u2019."},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Dubai\u2019s Mamzar Triathlon will serve as a living example of how organ donation empowers lives, with three men joining in a team relay to show that life after kidney donation remains vibrant and athletic.<\/p>

Calling themselves Team Three Beans<\/strong> \u2014 a fun reference to kidney beans \u2014 British expat Jordan Bickerstaffe<\/strong>, American Doug Cutchins<\/strong>, and Jordanian Walid Alotaibi<\/strong> are part of the international community Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA)<\/strong>.<\/p>

The organisation unites kidney donors worldwide who continue to swim, bike, and run following their transformative surgeries. Although they\u2019ve shared countless chats in a WhatsApp group, Sunday marks their first in-person meeting.<\/p>

\u201cWe\u2019re three athletes but only have three kidneys between us,\u201d Bickerstaffe jokes. \u201cWhat matters most is enjoying the experience, finishing together, and proving that donation never limits your abilities.\u201d<\/p>

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Pioneer non-related kidney donation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For 31-year-old Bickerstaffe<\/strong>, this triathlon will be his debut. A passionate fan of motorsports and outdoor activities, he will tackle the cycling segment of the 40\u202fkm race. His path to this starting line began less than two years ago, in a hospital operating theatre. In December\u202f2023, Bickerstaffe donated one of his kidneys to his fianc\u00e9e (now wife), Katie<\/strong>, who had battled type\u202f1 diabetes since childhood and was suddenly diagnosed with stage\u2011five kidney failure.<\/p>

\u201cShe only had 7\u202fpercent kidney function. Doctors said she urgently needed a transplant,\u201d he recalls. \u201cAt that time, UAE regulations allowed living donations only from relatives or spouses married for at least two years \u2014 and we weren\u2019t married yet.\u201d When a new rule was introduced later that year permitting unrelated living donations with Health Authority approval, the couple proceeded with the procedure at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi<\/strong>, the region\u2019s transplant hub.<\/p>

\u201cWe were informed that ours was the first unrelated living donation completed under this updated law in the UAE,\u201d Bickerstaffe adds. Since then, he says he\u2019s become \u201chealthier and stronger than ever.\u201d \u201cMany believe that donating an organ leaves you weak or unwell. My experience has been the exact opposite. I am now two to three times more active than before the donation.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Competing in Spartan races post kidney donation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Doug Cutchins<\/strong> has been a living kidney donor for over 20 years. Currently serving as Director of Global Awards at NYU Abu Dhabi<\/strong>, he donated his left kidney in 2002 to a high school friend, Cheryl<\/strong>. \u201cShe was seriously ill and required a transplant. I researched extensively and discovered you can still live a healthy, fulfilling life afterward,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s also been rewarding mentally \u2014 the pride of knowing I made a real difference in someone\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>

Cutchins is no stranger to endurance sports \u2014 he has completed two full Ironman triathlons<\/strong>, the most grueling distance in the sport, including a 3.8\u202fkm swim, 180\u202fkm cycle, and 42\u202fkm run. This weekend, he will take on the swimming portion for Team Three Beans<\/strong>, marking his first relay experience. \u201cWe decided to join forces to raise awareness and prove that kidney donors can continue to enjoy full, active lives,\u201d he adds.<\/p>

Also part of Team Three Beans<\/strong> is 42-year-old Abu Dhabi<\/strong> resident Walid Alotaibi<\/strong>, who donated a kidney to his sister in June 2021. For Alotaibi, the act inspired him to challenge himself physically. \u201cI consider it one of the greatest experiences, if not the greatest, of my life,\u201d he says. \u201cSince then, I\u2019ve completed three ADNOC marathons<\/strong>, over 15 half-marathons, plus Spartan races<\/strong>, 5Ks, and 10Ks.\u201d<\/p>

This weekend, he will run the distance segment in Mamzar<\/strong>. \u201cTen kilometres is an easy stretch,\u201d he jokes. \u201cNo special training plan this time \u2014 just having fun.\u201d<\/p>

Alotaibi first met teammate Doug Cutchins<\/strong> at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon<\/strong> two years ago. The two connected through the fitness app Strava<\/strong>, and Cutchins later introduced him to Bickerstaffe<\/strong> via the KDA<\/strong> community. \u201cWe thought, why not create a team of kidney donors?\u201d Alotaibi explains. \u201cIt\u2019s a meaningful way to participate together.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Three donors, one message<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For all three men, the Mamzar Triathlon isn\u2019t about medals or finish times. It\u2019s about visibility \u2014 proving that life with one kidney can still be one of strength, health, and purpose. \u201cAt the end of the day, organ donation needs awareness,\u201d Bickerstaffe says. \u201cThere are so many people in need of organs \u2014 and many who could save them, if only they knew how possible it is.\u201d<\/p>

As they prepare to meet at sunrise on race day, their message is simple: every donor story is also a story of life \u2014 multiplied. \u201cThere\u2019s no better gift than being able to give life back to someone,\u201d Bickerstaffe says quietly. \u201cIt\u2019s a feeling I\u2019ll cherish for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Three kidney donors in Dubai are taking part in a triathlon to show that donating an organ doesn\u2019t make a person weaker but proves strength, health, and determination remain intact.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,9],"tags":[34,21],"post_template":[56],"top_category":[],"class_list":["post-2251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-uae","tag-dubai-buzz","tag-health","post_format-post-format-image","post_template-opinion","pmpro-has-access"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2251"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2251\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34886,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2251\/revisions\/34886"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2251"},{"taxonomy":"post_template","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_template?post=2251"},{"taxonomy":"top_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/top_category?post=2251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}