Heart and lung operations no hurdle to treble gold win for Tony

It's gold, gold, gold for Velo Club Revolutions Tony Doyle, the double lung transplant sportsman from West Mersea.

The 32-year-old came away from the 13th European Heart and Lung Transplant Games, in Sweden, with gold medals in the 20km road race, and, in the pool, the 50 metres breaststroke and freestyle.

He also secured bronze in a ball-throwing track and field event, and silver in the badminton singles.

.It was the first time I had competed with the Great Britain team and it was fantastic. There is nothing like it in the world, wearing your national colours, winning gold and standing for the national anthem. It was emotional, but very rewarding,. he said.

The medals are a just reward for the nine months Tony has trained up to six days a week.

Success at the Games . the first of two scheduled this summer . is all the sweeter for Tony, who was born with cystic fibrosis and had both lungs replaced in an eight-hour operation in September 2008.

Struggling to walk and on oxygen 24 hours a day, he had been told that, without surgery, he had six months to live.

But that is all behind him.

Now Tony is pinning his medal-winning hopes on next month.s British Transplant Games in Bath, where he hopes to catch the eye of national selectors for the World Transplant Games in 2011.

Tony, of Oakwood Avenue, was inspired to compete after reading the story of seven-times Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer.

He had the support of island residents, groups such as Rotary and the Lions, and businesses, including Tim Day and Carl Sargent.s KT, and Five Lakes Golf and Country Club, at Tolleshunt Knights.

Between them, they helped raise hundreds of pounds above the 2,500 he needed for equipment, flights, accommodation and entry fees.

Tony is seeking sponsorship for the World Transplant Games. If you would like to help, e-mail tony.doyle1978@ hotmail.com

(Report from Essex County Standard)