'My mum donating her kidney was a gift of life' says Norfolk runner

Rian Snell won a silver and bronze at the World Transplant Games in Perth

An 18-year-old medallist at the World Transplant Games said his mother donating him her kidney when he was three and a half was "a gift of life".

Rian Snell, from Attleborough in Norfolk, won a silver and bronze at the event in Perth, Australia, last month.

During his mother's pregnancy an abnormality caused damage to his kidneys, resulting in him needing a transplant.

"I didn't expect to be here but I'm living life to the maximum," he said.

He came second in the 18-29-year-old age group long jump and third in same age group 100m at the games.

The runner has also competed in the European and British Transplant Games.

Rian Snell completed in the British Transplant Games aged four

He said: "I was given a transplant by my mum when I was three and a half and it was a gift of life that I didn't think I would get and I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for that."

His mother, Karen Snell, said the issue during her pregnancy was picked during a routine scan at 27-weeks pregnant.

A blockage in her son's urethra meant the urine was not leaving his body and damaged his kidneys.

'The gift of a transplant'

"He was in a critical situation and they didn't know if he would survive," she said.

Able to donate a kidney to her son, Rian said from then on he had "a love for sport and athletics and I've been developing [that] for years".

Karen Snell said saying goodbye to her son before he went to Australia was "emotional"

Rian said events like the World Transplant Games gave him the "opportunity [to show] there is a life that can be lived post-transplant, it isn't just you get it and you just live a normal life - it's you can have an active life, you can go do sports, you can chase a dream".

"I want to progress through to more European and more World [competitions] and get the whole experience again in many different countries," he said.

His mother said before he left for Australia he told her: "Thank you for giving me the chance to live a life like this."

She said her son competing in transplant competitions was "promoting what can be achieved with the gift of a transplant".