Simon Keith

Who is Simon Keith?

Simon Keith, was born in 1965 in Lewes, England. Simon moved to Victoria, BC Canada in 1967. He went to Mount Douglas Secondary School 1981-83 where he played on a soccer team with notable teammates Jeff Mallett and John Hughes.

Keith 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 he was the recipient of a heart transplant. The surgery was done in Papworth Hospital outside of London by Dr. Mohsin Hakim.

Keith then moved to Las Vegas in 1987 where he played soccer for the UNLV Rebels with his older brother Adam. He 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 indoor soccer draft. by the Cleveland Crunch of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Keith also played professionally for the Victoria Vistas, the Winnipeg Fury and the Montreal Supra of the Canadian Soccer League.

Keith is now the CEO of the Simon Keith Foundation, where he is devoted to increasing organ donor awareness.