Although she is 14, Samantha Scholl has competed in the "Olympics" five times. In June, Samantha will participate in the U.S. Transplant Games 2006, considered by those who compete, the Olympics. The daughter of Denise and Pat Scholl, of Cranberry, Samantha, who has had two heart transplants, will compete in several events, including running, swimming, and volleyball.

An eighth-grader at Mt. Gallitzin Academy in Baden, Samantha received her first heart transplant when she was 3 days old. Samantha had a defective heart which doctors discovered before her birth.

"We were able to put her on the transplant list when she was still [in utero]" Mrs. Scholl said. "They don't do that anymore. We were so lucky."

That was in December 1991.

Samantha progressed like any other child and was active, competing in gymnastics, when her heart began to suffer from chronic rejection.

"It isn't all that uncommon," Mrs. Scholl said.

The cardiologist explained to Samantha that she would have to quit competing for a while, a disappointment, but one she took well, according to her mother. In December 2000, Samantha received her second heart. "Soon after, [the cardiologist] told her that she could compete again. She was excited."

The Scholls became aware of the games when Mrs. Scholl was at a transplant conference in Philadelphia. "Samantha was about 5 years old then," she said. Samantha competed in her first transplant games that year.

Samantha competes as part of Team Pittsburgh.

"I was the only [child] for a long time. Now we have about six. We are building it up," she said, "That is one of the things I want to do. I am looking forward to having more kids in it."

In these games, Samantha will run the 100-meter dash, the 400-meter run, and a 400-meter relay, compete in the long jump, and swim the 50-meter breast stroke competition. She will also run in the 5-kilometer organ-awareness run.

"I'm used to doing gymnastics, which is a lot of sprinting. This has been hard," she said.

It helps that her mother used to be on the track team at Pine-Richland High School and trains and practices with her. "She taught me how to run. I am learning how to pace myself for the 5K," Samantha said.

Her father is good at "things like wrestling and baseball," said his daughter, but he helps her with volleyball. She also practices with the Quigley High School middle school team. She swims at several pools and at her school.

"My swimming teacher, Mrs. Farnan, helps me, too," Samantha said.

In addition to training for the transplant games and gymnastics, Samantha is busy at school. Mrs. Scholl said Samantha is the vice president of the Student Council, a member of the forensics team and in the middle school play.

Team Pittsburgh holds several fund-raisers throughout the year to assist athletes with expenses for the trip. "Without a fund-raiser, it would be about $1,500 a person I guess," she said.

Samantha said the games allowed transplant recipients to meet with other recipients and organ donor families.

"There is a special ceremony for the donor families and we all get to acknowledge what they have done for us," she said. The athletes come to the games "to celebrate our lives."

Samantha hopes her participation helps to raise awareness about organ donors and transplants.

"I think people think that when you think of someone that has a transplant that you think of someone in a sickly state. But that is not true at all. We live an active and normal life," she said, "The kids look at me as just another kid."

The U.S. Transplant Games 2006 will be held June 16-21 in Louisville, Ky. For more information about Team Pittsburgh visit www.teampittsburgh.org.