A WORCESTER athlete who battled with leukaemia 12 years ago is celebrating after picking up three gold medals at the British Transplant Games.

Steve Nyland, of Christine Avenue, Rushwick, was part of the Birmingham transplant team and triumphed in the 5km cycling time trial and the 10km road race.

He also took gold in the 5km donor run and bagged a silver medal in the 400m track event.

The games, which took place in Bath at the end of last month, is an Olympic-style event for all people who have undergone an organ transplant – including heart, kidney, liver and bone marrow.

Mr Nyland, aged 34, a sports science lecturer at Stourbridge College, West Midlands, received a bone marrow transplant after developing leukaemia at the age of 22.

The father-of-one was sponsored by the Green Bike Company, based in Bromyard Road, St John’s, Worcester, and Echelon, in Pershore, for the event, for which athletes have to find their own funding. The Green Bike Company supplied him with a custom-made bike to use for the cycling events.

Mr Nyland said: “My legs were tired after the first two cycles but I still had the evening 5km donor run to compete in.

“After the first lap, my legs were burning but seeing all the donor families walking and running in costumes really lifted me and spurred me on and I took the gold in that event too.

“I was so excited to tell my family as it was the best I have ever done at the British Transplant Games in terms of gold medals and helped the Birmingham Transplant Team to take the trophy for best team performance.”

Mr Nyland has now been selected for the World Transplant Games, to be held in Sweden next year.

The aim of the world event is to continue to raise awareness of organ donation and its importance.

Mr Nyland: “I really want to thank Ian Moseley from The Green Bike Company and Tim Wood at Echelon Cycles as I would not have done so well without their support.

“I look forward to the next challenge which I will be preparing for, the World Transplant Games in Sweden 2011”

For more information visit transplantsport.org.

uk or wtgf.org.