Galway heart transplant man runs Dublin City Marathon

A Galway man took part in yesterday’s Dublin City Marathon to celebrate 15 years since receiving a life saving heart transplant.

Since his transplant at the Mater Hospital Dublin in 1999, Ernesto Antonio has undertaken a multitude of physical challenges on land and in water across Europe and he has also climbed Kilimanjaro.

In 2009 when the Bushypark native participated in the Dublin City Marathon he broke a world time record for a heart transplant recipient.

Yesterday, bank holiday Monday, he stepped out once more to help raise awareness about the importance of organ donation by taking part event.

Cheering on his success as he crossed the line was his wife Kate and daughter Isabella as well as his sister and brother and nieces from Galway.

Ernesto who is now living in Essex said: “From having barely 15 hours to live I have had 15 amazing years thanks to my donor and their family and I hope it will encourage others to carry a donor card so that more people can also receive the gift of life.” He added: “Since my transplant fifteen years ago I have done numerous half marathons and triathlons, I did the Ironman 70.3 in my native Galway, I’ve swam the English Channel in a relay, swam across Galway Bay, cycled Lands End to John O’Groats, cycled London to Paris this Spring, climbed Kilimanjaro, raced across Scotland in two days and represented Ireland at the European Heart and Lung Transplant Games. This year the Transplant Games were in Lithuania where I won a silver medal and five gold medals. My donor’s heart has made all of this possible. My aim in undertaking all these challenges is always to create awareness and promote organ donation.”

Ernesto now works as a theatre charge nurse in England which sometimes involves emergency surgery and brings him in contact with transplant coordinators for organ retrieval. Ernesto recalled having been at death’s door in 1999. “I remember desperately hoping for a heart transplant in time for my daughter Isabella’s sixth birthday. It came a week later. She is now 21 and attending university. It is thanks to my donor that I have seen her grown up,” he said.

Ernesto’s first time to take part in the Dublin Marathon was in 2006 and he  broke a world record for a heart transplant recipient in 2009 with a time of 3.45.  Ernesto said: “I’m a little older now and care less about my finishing time and simply enjoy being able to take part. My last marathon was in Edinburgh last spring and my time was in the region of 3:49.”

For an organ donor card Freetext the word DONOR to 50050 or visit www.ika.ie. It is also possible to download an organ donor card on smartphones by searching for ‘Donor ECard’  at the iphone store or Google Play Store. Your wishes to be an organ donor can also be included on the new format driving licence.