Living kidney donor from Utah participating in 200-mile relay race with other donors, recipients

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — An Orem woman who donated her kidney will be competing in a 200-mile relay race with a team consisting of other kidney donors and kidney recipients .

Sophia Jackson, 44, donated her kidney to a stranger in 2022, on behalf of a New York City police officer — she now serves as a board member of the National Kidney Donation Organization .

When someone offers to donate a kidney on behalf of another person, the donor can give their kidney to that person. Sometimes a donor and recipient may be incompatible, in which case recipients can find a better match and donors can donate their kidneys when it would be most beneficial .

Jackson is one of several living kidney donors on the relay race team — which is sponsored by the National Kidney Registry — in addition to numerous kidney 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,” living donor team member and National Kidney Donor Organization employee Hilary Baude said.

Jackson and the other members of the Renal Warriors will be competing in the Wild West Relay , which is scheduled to take place on Aug. 2 and Aug. 3. The 200-mile race will take Jackson and the rest of the team through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

“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,” Baude said.

The other team members of the Renal Warriors range in age from 26 to 60 years old and are coming from seven different states to compete in the relay race.

According to a press release from the NKDO, one of the team members competing in the relay race also competed in an IRONMAN race after receiving a transplant.

Another team member lost weight in order to be eligible for a transplant, and opened a gym to help train other patients in renal failure. A father/son pair is also part of the Renal Warriors team, with the father having donated his kidney to his son, according to the NKDO.

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