A FORMER PE teacher has brought home gold and bronze medals from the World Transplant Olympics in Canada.

Adrian Woodcock, of Chester-le-Street, struck gold in badminton and won a bronze in the men's singles tennis.

Mr Woodcock, who underwent a heart transplant at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital seven years ago, is no newcomer to winning medals, having won the same gold and bronze combination at the Transplant Games two years ago.

Yesterday, however, Mr Woodcock was anxious to make it clear that his participation was not just about winning medals.

He said: "Though it's obviously rewarding to win, it is also about getting the message over to more people to carry donor cards.

"Last year, 400 people died waiting for transplant organs and I would urge everyone to carry a donor card.''

Back home from London, Ontario, where the games were held, Mr Woodcock, who was accompanied by his wife, Tricia, at the event, said he was delighted to have secured the gold and bronze medals.

Training for his two disciplines takes up a lot of his spare time and has been "terrifically beneficial'' to his recovery from the major operation.

But the now super-fit 62-year-old has no intentions of resting on his laurels and has the European Heart and Lung Transplant Games next year in Italy firmly in his sights.

"I am certainly hoping to be representing Great Britain at the games,'' said Mr Woodcock who is also not ruling out taking part in future Transplant Olympics, held every two years.