Los Alamos heart transplant survivor, 81, aims for Denver Games

Cathy Walters, an 81-year-old Los Alamos resident, will head to Denver this summer with a heart transplant, a lifelong love of swimming and a likely distinction all her own: she is expected to be the only competitor in the new over-80 category at the Transplant Games of America.

Walters is part of a 30-person New Mexico contingent bound for the June 18-23, 2026, games, a national multi-sport event that celebrates the lifesaving gift of organ, eye and tissue donation. For Los Alamos, her story turns a private medical victory into a public reminder that a single donor can change the future of a neighbor, a family and an entire community.

Swimming has shaped Walters’ life for decades, and it became part of her recovery after the transplant. That connection gives her trip to Denver a local resonance that goes beyond medals. It shows what organ donation can make possible years later, not just survival but the chance to compete, train and keep building a second act at an age when many people have long since stepped back from athletic goals.

The Transplant Games of America are held every two years and bring together thousands of transplant recipients, living donors, donor families, caregivers and supporters from across the country. The 2026 edition will feature 20 athletic competitions and more than 60 special events and programs, including an expo, opening ceremony, quilt pinning ceremony and educational and tribute programming. Some events are scheduled at the Colorado Convention Center.

Competition at the Games spans transplant recipients, living donors, donor families and international athletes, with medals awarded in individual and team relay events across three divisions. Walters’ place in that field is notable not just because of her age, but because it represents the kind of long-term outcome families hope for when they say yes to donation. In Los Alamos, her name now stands for more than recovery. It stands for what a donated heart can still make possible in an 81-year-old swimmer bound for Denver.