By LAURA CUMMINGS and ANGHARAD LEWIS| The Scotsman
A KIDNEY transplant recipient, an author and a lifeboat chief are among the Lothian residents recognised in today's Queen's birthday honours list.
Fourteen people who live in the region were included in the roll call of honours for 2011.
Among them is mother-of-three Lesley Forrest, who becomes an MBE for voluntary service to transplant sports. Mrs Forrest, 54, who lives in Newington, received a kidney transplant in 1966 after being diagnosed with genetic kidney disease Alport syndrome.
Just a year after her transplant at the Royal Infirmary, Mrs Forrest, a finance administrator at Edinburgh University, started volunteering for charity Transplant Sport UK.
She has since represented Team GB at Transplant Games around the world, competing in swimming and athletics events and winning gold, silver and bronze medals.
Mrs Forrest is set to compete at the World Transplant Games in Gothenburg next week, and hopes to return with more medals.
Speaking of her award, Mrs Forrest, whose cousin Hamish Barrie, 48, from Portobello, is currently awaiting a second kidney transplant, said: "I'm quite overwhelmed. I know so many people who are doing a lot of good work for transplant sports and we are all doing it to try to raise awareness for organ donation.
"We just happen to do it through sport, which keeps us fit and healthy too."
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