These athletes are special because many of them are transplant recipients, given a second chance at life through organ donation.

Along with them every step of the way is their coach and leader, Alysun Deckert, a registered dietitian at UW Medical Center.

Deckert founded the Team Transplant group in 2001. She sees it as a natural extension of her work at UWMC with kidney, liver and pancreas transplant patients. "I thought it would be fun to do something for transplant awareness and to promote fitness among transplant recipients and in the workplace," said Deckert, an experienced runner who competed in three Olympic women's marathon trials and the Boston Marathon.

"We are promoting organ donation by showing that transplant recipients can lead active, vital lives even after a transplant."

At the 2005 Seattle Marathon, more than 170 members of Team Transplant, including 30 organ transplant recipients, participated in the marathon, half-marathon run or half-marathon walk. The team also included faculty, staff, family members and caregivers.

This year, inspired by the efforts of Team Transplant, UW Medical Center has signed on to become title sponsor for the 2006 Seattle Marathon, Half Marathon Run, Marathon Walk and Half Marathon Walk. This year's event benefits the Living Legacy Foundation at LifeCenter Northwest. The Foundation funds education, outreach and awareness programs aimed at increasing the number of registered organ donors and eliminating barriers to donation. The University of Washington Medical Center Seattle Marathon will be held Nov. 26. The Kids Marathon will be held Nov. 25.

The team is now doing its spring training, meeting each week at different sites around the Seattle area on Saturday mornings to run and walk together, guided by Deckert. A favorite training spot for the team is the dirt track near Green Lake. Several members of the team participated in the Capital Cities Marathon in Olympia in May.

In the fall, Deckert carefully organizes the training schedules for Team Transplant as it prepares for the Seattle Marathon, each week sending out an e-mail to team members and supporters detailing the information for that week's training session and offering words of encouragement. Each training teaches new skills needed to complete the testing half-marathon course.

"For the recipients, it's more than training for a race," Deckert said. "They are just so excited to be able to exercise at all after being so ill. For them, every day is a celebration."

Stephen Reynolds, a retired oceanographer, is a liver transplant recipient and member of the team along with his wife, Jeannette, academic programs coordinator for the Graduate School.

"My sick liver caused significant degeneration in my musculoskeletal system. Frankly, I was a mess," Reynolds said. "But a year after my transplant I finally had the strength to join the team. Alysun brought the two of us along by encouraging and promoting our overall fitness, including teaching us about our nutritional needs, until we were able to complete our first walking half-marathon."

Nearly 100 members of Team Transplant signed the letter nominating Deckert for the Distinguished Staff Award.

"On her own time, outside of her job description and duties, Alysun took medically fragile people, most without any fitness background, and turned them into athletes. Numerous post-transplant patients are living healthier, happier lives with increased self-esteem and the sense of accomplishment from completing a half marathon," the team wrote in support of Deckert.

Deckert has worked for Food and Nutrition Services at UW Medical Center since 1993. She is a graduate of Kansas State University, where she competed in track and field and cross country, and received her master's degree in nutrition from UW.

"Team Transplant has been a wonderful experience for me. The team has given back to me much more than I have done for them," she said.