Twenty Irish athletes left Dublin at the weekend to take part in the Word Transplant Games at Nancy in France. They include a double lung transplant recipient, two people who have received liver transplants and 17 who have received kidneys.
Around 2,500 transplant recipients and 1,000 assistants from 70 countries are taking part in the games. The families of those who have received organs and donor families are also attending.
The games were opened last night by the former Dallas actor, Larry Hagman, who is a liver transplant recipient, and the former French soccer player, Michael Platini.
The Irish team will compete in 14 sporting events including track and field, swimming, tennis, badminton, squash, volleyball, cycling, road racing, ten-pin bowling, shooting, golf, table tennis, kayaking and mini-rafting.
Speaking from Nancy, Mr Mark Murphy, chief executive of the Irish Kidney Association, which co-ordinated Ireland's involvement in the games, said: "There is a fantastic atmosphere here. There are signs all over town welcoming us. It's even better than Dublin during the Special Olympics.
"By participating in the games, the Irish team give hope to all those people suffering from organ failure and demonstrate that, after successful transplantation, they are embracing and enjoying full and healthy lives."
Ireland had made a "very strong bid" to host the 2007 games.
The Irish athletes are aged from nine to 58. Ms Karen Jackson, a member of the Irish team from Dublin, said participants had spent months preparing for the games.
"It's absolutely wonderful over here," she said. "It's great for our athletes socially. They can meet athletes from other countries and receive support and learn about different treatments and experiences. It also shows that there is life after receiving a transplant.
"We have many people who were involved in contact sports before, like football and hurling, who were asked to give them up. This shows that many can still take part in sport and don't have to sit at home watching television for the rest of their lives.
"I know I speak for all my team-mates when I express our deep gratitude to organ donors and their families for making it possible for us to take part in this prestigious event. We hope that our involvement will help heighten awareness about organ donation."