An estimated 1,500 organ recipients from around the world gathered at Disney's Wide World of Sports at Lake Buena Vista, FL, for four days of athletic competition at the biennial U.S. Transplant Games.

Teams from all 50 states as well as Chile, Germany, Mexico, Panama and the U.S. Virgin Islands were scheduled to compete during the week in 13 sports

Among the better known organ recipients onhand as evidence that high-level athletic activity is possible following a transplant were former basketball star Sean Elliott, who returned to play for the San Antonio Spurs following a kidney transplant, and snowboarder Chris Klug who competed in the Olympics following a liver transplant.

Maureen Pecor, 38, of Melbourne, FL, a cystic fibrosis patient who received a new lung two years ago, was typical of the amateur athletes participating in the Transplant Games.

Five months after her transplant, she climbed 4,393-foot Mount Mansfield, and on the first anniversary of the surgery, ran a 5K race. She has run a dozen races since.

Other sources: AP