| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Simon Keith | ||
| Date of birth | May 25, 1965 | ||
| Place of birth | Lewes, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1971-1983 | Lansdowne Soccer Association | ||
| 1983-1984 | University of Victoria Vikings | ||
| 1987-1989 | UNLV Rebels | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1989-1990 | Victoria Vistas | ||
| 1990 | Winnipeg Fury | ||
| 1989-1990 | Cleveland Crunch | 52 | (6) |
| 1990-1991 | Montreal Supra | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Simon Keith, was born in 1965 in Lewes, England. Simon moved to Victoria, BC Canada in 1967. Simon went to Mount Douglas Secondary School 1981-83 where he played on a soccer team with notable teammates Jeff Mallett and John Hughes.
Simon played at the University of Victoria for the Vikings soccer team where in 1984 he was diagnosed with myocarditis, a deterioration of the heart muscle. In 1986 Simon was the recipient of a heart transplant. The surgery was done in Papworth Hospital outside of London [1] by Dr. Mohsin Hakim [2]
Simon then moved to Las Vegas in 1987 where he played soccer for the UNLV Rebels with his older brother Adam. Simon has the distinction of being the first athlete ever to have played professional sports after having undergone a heart transplant, Simon was the number one overall pick in the 1989 professional soccer draft[3] by the Cleveland Crunch of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). Simon also played professionally for the Victoria Vistas, the Winnipeg Fury and the Montreal Impact of the Canadian Soccer League.
Simon is now the CEO of the Simon Keith Foundation [4] where he is devoted to increasing organ donor awareness. The Simon Keith Foundation is designed to educate transplant recipients. Simon is one of the longest living heart transplant recipients and has lived the majority of his life with his second heart.