"My ambition was to go there this year and win three, because I had 57 and I wanted to make it up to 60. Now I'm at 63, so I don't know what my next goal is.
"The World Transplant Games next year are in England - I don't intend to go to them. They have the Aussie Games every two years, so it will be in 2020. I think I would like to go to those, providing everything is still going well - two years is a long time."
Eckersley suffered a heart attack in 2004, which led to a triple bypass operation. Things did not improve, however, and 18 months later he was lucky enough to be matched with a donor. Thirteen years later he is healthier than ever.
A former New Zealand speed skating champion, he has always been competitive, but enjoys the social aspect of the transplant games as well.
"It's the competition and I need a goal to aim for. There's the camaraderie as well - meeting other competitors and hearing all their different stories. There were 700 people all up, including supporters.
"I'm determined and gutsy, from my previous sporting history. Some events I do for the fun of it, but anything that I think I have a good chance at, I give it my best shot, it's serious."
There were 14 New Zealand competitors at the Australian Transplant Games, all with different transplant stories. Together they won 30 gold medals, 16 silver and 10 bronze. There was one fellow New Zealander who Eckersley found particularly inspiring.
"There was a young lady from Tauranga, Kristie Purton, she's a 34-year-old with three children who had a double lung transplant 11 months ago. It's an amazing achievement, this is the first games she's been to and she won four gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal. She did remarkably well, considering it was only 11 months after her transplant."
He said there were also 45 athletes from Thailand and noted their government paid for all of their expenses to allow them to compete.
"We don't get anything whatsoever. It does get a bit hard. We got $1000 towards the World Transplant Games, but that's what the New Zealand Transplant Games Association had raised themselves.
"It does get expensive and that cuts a lot of people out, because they just can't afford to go. It would be nice to get some sponsorship, to allow more Kiwi athletes to compete."
Eckersley was eager encourage families to talk with each other about whether they wanted to be a donor.
"In New Zealand you put it on your licence, but your family can overrule. In Australia they've changed their system, they have a register now and once you've enrolled on that your family can't overrule your decision. Their donor rate has gone up considerably due to that.
"With the system in New Zealand, you have to make your family aware that it's your wish to be your donor and hope that they carry it out.
"You're so grateful to that donor family for the gift of life and what that can do for you. I've had nearly 13 years and I wouldn't have had 12 of them if it weren't for the donor family."
