The Mayor of Ruse and the athlete Georgi Peev discussed the cause of donation

Tuesday, 14 January 2025

The Mayor of Ruse Pencho Milkov met with Georgi Peev, an exceptional athlete, inspiring ambassador of donation and the only person in Europe with a heart and kidney transplant. The occasion of the meeting was Peev's participation as a special guest at the "Sportsman of the Year" ceremony for 2024, which takes place this evening in the Dokhodno zdanie.

Georgi Peev is a symbol of the strength of spirit and overcoming life's trials. After a viral illness in 2011, he underwent a heart transplant in 2013, followed by a kidney transplant a year and a half later. Despite the health challenges, he has become a true champion both in sport and in life.

Among his greatest achievements are the gold medal at the World Championships for Transplanted Athletes in Perth, Australia, in 2023, as well as the four gold medals won this year at the European Transplanted Games in Lisbon. In 2019 Georgi climbed the highest peak of the Balkan Peninsula, Musala, and in 2023 he climbed the highest peak in Africa - Uhuru (5895 m) on Mount Kilimanjaro and became the first person in the world with a transplanted heart and kidney to do so.

Georgi has dedicated his life to promoting donation in Bulgaria, organising campaigns and meetings to inspire people to support this vital cause.

“You are an example of how willpower, strength of spirit and human kindness can change the world. Your successes inspire not only athletes, but all of us to believe that even the greatest difficulties can be overcome. Not only sports achievements, but also the mission to popularize donation are an inspiration for our entire society,” said Mayor Pencho Milkov.

Georgi Peev shared that his transplanted heart is from Ruse and he could not refuse the invitation to attend the ceremony. “My cause is for people to believe that anything is possible. Donation is not a topic about death, but about life and the opportunities that are provided to you,” he noted.

During the meeting, possibilities for organizing joint initiatives in Ruse were discussed to direct public attention to donation. The mayor emphasized that the municipality will support all efforts in this direction.

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