Four Weill Cornell residents are banding together to showcase that being a living kidney donor doesn't impose physical limits. All four will compete with Renal Warriors, a National Kidney Registry-sponsored team of nine living kidney donors and five kidney recipients in the August 2-3 Wild West Relay, a 200-mile, 36-leg race through the Rocky Mountains between Fort Collins, CO, and Steamboat Springs, CO.

Sophia Jackson, an Orem, UT resident, donated her kidney to a stranger on behalf of a New York City police officer through the National Kidney Registry Voucher program in 2022. She asserts that she doesn't have an athletic bone in her body, but she is excited to "trade my stilettos in for a pair of Escalantes to be part of the Renal Warrior team." Jackson also serves as a member of the National Kidney Donation Organization Board.

Hilary Baude, a Waterford, CT resident, also donated her kidney to a stranger in 2021 through the National Kidney Registry's Standard Voucher Program. In 2023, she participated in the 1K12M (1 Kidney 12 Marathons) initiative to raise awareness for living donation, completing 10 marathons and two Ironmans in less than 10 months. Baude has two young daughters and is a kindergarten teacher. She is also pursuing her doctoral degree.

Teagan Walter, a Boston, MA resident and Boston Scientific medical device engineer, donated her kidney to a stranger in November 2021 after listening to a Freakonomics podcast episode. Walter began running after her kidney donation and is grateful to work on cutting-edge kidney stone treatments. Baude served as a peer-to-peer mentor as Walter was going through the living donation process.

Steve Wilson, a Katonah, NY resident and a financial planner, donated his kidney to a stranger in 2020. He is a member of Kidney Donor Athletes and a five-time Ironman finisher. Wilson has twice summitted Kilimanjaro, most recently in February 2022, with a group of 21 other living kidney donors. Wilson also served as a Donor Connect peer-to-peer mentor for Jackson, Baude, and Walter through the National Kidney Donation Organization.

Team members range in age from 26-60, represent diverse racial backgrounds, and hail from eight US states. Through this event, the team will showcase the life-changing impact that kidney donation has on recipients.

"Our goal with this event is to highlight the life-changing effect of living donation on recipients, offering potential donors clear and compelling reasons to consider donating," said living donor team member Hilary Baude. "Traditionally, raising awareness about living donation focuses on donors, demonstrating that donation does not negatively impact health and that donors can live a full and active life after donating a kidney," added Baude.

The team showcases compelling stories of gratitude, grace, and resilience, which have been featured in news outlets such as People Magazine and Good Morning America, including:

* A kidney recipient who completed an Ironman after transplant.
* A father/son pair in which the father donated his kidney to his son.

All team members are available for interviews. Contact [email protected] for more information and to arrange interviews.

About the National Kidney Registry

The National Kidney Registry http://www.kidneyregistry.org/ aims to save and improve the lives of people facing kidney failure by increasing the quality, speed, and number of living donor transplants while protecting all living donors.