A SPREYTON sportswoman who received a kidney transplant five years ago has won a gold medal at the World Transplant Games.

Wendy Sincock also won two silver medals in swimming events at the championships in Nancy, France.

Wendy won the gold medal in the 100 metres backstroke, took silver in the 50 metres backstroke and 50 metres freestyle.

She capped this performance with a creditable fifth out of 15 competitors in the shot-putt.

Wendy also took third place in the 1,000 metre sprint kayak, a combined event which involved white water rafting.

?It was the most exhilarating,? said Wendy. ?I had only had three canoe lessons in Chagford Swimming Pool before, so I wasn?t sure I could do it, but I decided to go for it.?

Wendy said she was actually thrown out of the raft on the first of the white water runs, but climbed back into it, carried on and came third.

Her success was part of a triumphant Games for Great Britain, which finished top of the medal table. Great Britain entered a team of 120 transplantees who competed against representatives from 77 different countries. The team?s final medal tally was 62 gold, 38 silver and 42 bronze medals.

However, Wendy said the success was overshadowed by the death of one of the transplantees during a table-tennis match: ?He was doing what he loved. The team nearly came home, but we had a team meeting and decided he would probably have wanted us to carry on.?

The World Transplant Games took place between July 19 and 27, with the opening ceremony attended by 25,000 spectators cheering the teams.

Wendy said the opening ceremony was very memorable: ?The parade went through the old city of Nancy and there were some very beautiful buildings, followed by light and laser shows and a big firework display?

She said the events were also well-supported and there was a lot of media interest. ?I was interviewed for French radio with an interpreter and the local TV station were filming the events too.

?The whole idea of the Games is to promote awareness of organ transplants, and I think we did that while we were in France.?

On their return to Heathrow Airport, the team caught a coach to Stoke on Trent to take part in the British Transplant Games.

The Exeter and District Transplant team consisted of only five members this year, but managed to win 16 medals.

Wendy won the gold in the 50 metres backstroke, silver in the 5km cycling, 50 metres freestyle, shot-putt and cricket ball throwing, plus a bronze in the 4X50 metres freestyle.

Wendy?s team were squeezed into the relay event at the last minute when one of the other teams pulled out and she said she enjoyed the event very much.

?It was really fun. The Exeter crowd that had come to support us were the loudest at the pool. We did really well, I think everyone beat their own record times.?

Wendy said the Exeter team definitely intended to enter the relay again next year following their success.

She will also be joining a transplant patients? team taking part in a volleyball tournament in Newcastle in November. Next year, she hopes the Exeter team can repeat its success at the British Transplant Games which take place in Norwich.

The other members of the Exeter team were Nigel Sandford, Brian Smith, Alan Davies and Richard Owens.

Wendy paid tribute to her fellow competitors and thanked her supporters and sponsors.