POWERBIKE racer Helen Mawdsley is living life at full throttle - thanks to a life-saving liver transplant.

Helen, aged 39, from Tenby, is one of only a handful of women to line up on the starting grid at UK motorcycle racing events, and she's using the popular race meetings to drive home the message that organ donation saves lives.

But just seven years ago Helen was facing an uncertain future when she suffered acute liver failure and received an emergency liver transplant at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. She underwent another major operation just two years later.

Helen, who rides a 150 bhp Suzuki GSXR-1000 in the New Era Novice, Open and Powerbike Championship, said: "Transplants are extremely successful. I can show bike fans across the UK just how important transplantation is and that organ donation can give someone like me an absolutely new life."

Her team is being sponsored by UK Transplant, the special NHS health authority responsible for matching and allocating donated organs, and the NHS Organ Donor Register.

UK Transplant has provided Helen with a large tent emblazoned with giant organ donor card symbols as a team HQ, pit and organ donation information centre.

"The tent is a real eye-catcher. I'm getting fantastic feedback from people and I'm hoping we can encourage thousands of race fans to talk about organ donation and join the NHS Organ Donor Register."

Helen, a cat breeder, says she can remember little about her operation.

"I went into one hospital and woke up in the transplant unit at Birmingham with my mother leaning over me telling me I'd had a transplant.

"It took some time to get back to full speed, but as soon as I felt well enough I decided I would try and recapture some of my former life. I've always ridden motorbikes and decided the time was right to step up a gear and get into racing."

Penny Hallett, UK Transplant's director of communications, said: "We want to make organ donation a talking point on and off the racetrack. Helen is a prime example of just how successful organ transplants are.

"We hope that the sponsorship will encourage fans to talk about organ and tissue donation with their family and friends and register their wishes on the NHS Organ Donor Register."

Last year 2,777 patients had their lives saved or dramatically improved through the generosity of 1,166 donors and a further 2,297 sight-saving cornea transplants also took place.

More than 5,600 people in the UK are waiting for a donated organ and last year 368 people died while waiting.

Anyone wanting to know more about organ donation or join the register should contact the Organ Donor Line on 0845 60 60 400 or visit http://www.uktransplant.org.uk">www.uktransplant.org.uk