Heart Transplant Recipients Embrace Their 2nd Chance

Photo Credit: Supplied

Two athletes. Two transplants. One incredible comeback. After receiving life-saving heart transplants in 2022, Billy Macleod and Pedro Basson found each other, found purpose, and rode side by side to conquer the gruelling sani2c… all to raise awareness for organ donation.

Johannesburg, South Africa (02 June 2025) – Billy Macleod and Pedro Basson were once competitive athletes, each excelling in their respective sports before life threw a curveball of severe illness their way.

Thankfully, they both received heart transplants in 2022. It was that life-changing period of their lives that led to their powerful encounter – a moment that would not only propel them back into the world of sport but also join forces to powerfully raise awareness on organ donation.

In early 2022, Pedro was a promising young tennis player from Johannesburg, but he ended up with an unexpected health crisis. After pushing through intense training while ill, he experienced a rapid decline in heart function, leading to a diagnosis of myocarditis and cardiomyopathy. This necessitated a heart transplant at Netcare Milpark Hospital, under the care of Dr Graham Cassel.

Billy and Pedro crossed paths through their surgeon, Dr Cassel, and it was then that a shared joke inspired a special friendship between two survivors driven to channel their passions in a way that has easily left us feeling inspired.

Doing life with a new heart

Post-surgery, Pedro was able to return to his studies and gradually resumed physical activity under medical supervision. By early 2023, he was back on the tennis court and exploring mountain biking, a sport he had enjoyed recreationally with his father. Pedro became confident in his athletic capability again when he secured a gold medal in the men’s singles tennis at the 2023 World Transplant Games in Perth, Australia.

“I started exercising almost immediately after my transplant – under supervision at first. Six months later, I was back on the tennis court. A year later, I was back on the bike,” says Pedro.

Pedro says he has had to adjust to his new heart and learn its strengths and limitations:

“My heart doesn’t like sudden pressure. It needs time to warm up. That’s why stage races are a better option for me – they suit my body better than short, fast events.”

Billy echoes this sentiment:

“Coming from a racing background, I was just eager to get back on the bike. But we don’t run off normal heart rates anymore. Our bodies don’t respond to adrenaline like they used to. That’s why short distances are so tough, and long events like sani2c suit me much better.”

Taking on the sani2c

Billy returned to the KAP sani2c in 2024, an event he loved and had long been associated with, and completed it successfully on an e-bike.

In May 2025, Billy and young Pedro joined forces with seasoned sani2c riders Steph Bester and Guy Dudley, to form Team Change of Heart, to raise awareness around organ donation with the Hero777 organisation.

After a cumulative time of 17 hours, 22 minutes and 28 seconds over the three days, Billy and Pedro crossed the finish line with Steph and Guy, who had stuck with them and worked as a team to finish the race.

“To actually have completed sani2c with Pedro is incredible. To see him experience the event for the first time with so much wonder – that was special,” Billy says.

“Pedro is so young and full of energy. On the first day, he was pushing at the front – until the cramps hit! But we worked as a team and got him through it. We rode the last 15 km of Day 3 together, all four of us. That moment will stay with me forever.”

Pedro says that finishing sani2c has been a major achievement for him:

“I didn’t think it would be that hard, but after Day 1, I realised what I was in for. I’m young for an event like this, but I had amazing mentors: Steph, Billy, and Guy – they’ve each done sani2c at least three times, and Steph has done it eight times! They knew what to expect and coached me through it.”

Mandy Haw, the ‘mother of sani2c’ and the family that organises sani2c, commended both riders and expressed that their presence was a true inspiration.

At the ages of 56 and 20, Billy and Pedro’s journey from hospital beds to conquering one of South Africa’s most demanding mountain bike races serves as a story of hope. Their achievement underscores the incredible feats achievable with resilience, support, and an indomitable spirit.