Chris Klug (born November 18, 1972) is a

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...

alpine

snowboarder Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympi ...

. After receiving a

liver transplant Liver transplantation or hepatic transplantation is the replacement of a Liver disease, diseased liver with the healthy liver from another person (allograft). Liver transplantation is a treatment option for Cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease and ...

in 2000 to treat

primary sclerosing cholangitis Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a long-term progressive disease of the liver and gallbladder characterized by inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts, which normally allow bile to drain from the gallbladder. Affected individuals may ha ...

, he went on to compete in the

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

, winning a

bronze medal A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receive ...

in the

Parallel Giant Slalom Giant slalom (GS) is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles ("gates") spaced at a greater distance from each other than in slalom but less than in Super-G. Giant slalom and slalom make up th ...

. This was the first and so far only time a transplantee had competed in the

Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

, either winter or summer. He also won a

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

, and lit the

torch A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end, which is ignited and used as a light source. Torches have been used throughout history, and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggling entertainment. In ...

at the 2002 National Kidney Foundation U.S. Transplant Games. He is an alumnus of

Deerfield Academy Deerfield Academy is an elite coeducational preparatory school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1797, it is one of the oldest secondary schools in the United States. It is a member of the Eight Schools Association, the Ten Schools Admissi ...

. In 2004, Klug released a book called ''To the Edge and Back: My Story from Organ Transplant Survivor to Olympic Snowboarder''. He is an active supporter of organ donation and recently founded the Chris Klug Foundation and Donor Dudes to spread awareness of the need for organ donors.

Personal life

Klug is married to Melissa April. They live in

Aspen, Colorado Aspen is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 7,004 at the 2020 United States Census. Aspen is in a remote area of the Rocky Mounta ...

and

Sisters, Oregon Sisters is a city in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,038 at the 2010 census. History The community takes its name from the nearby Three Sisters mount ...

with their two children.

Chris Klug Foundation

In 2003, The Chris Klug Foundation was founded and started by Chris Klug himself, following year after he competed in the Winter Olympics. The start of the foundation was a result on Klug's ambition to help save lives and advertise a healthy, active life after receiving a transplant. The Chris Klug Foundation is devoted, "to promoting lifesaving organ and tissue donation and improving the quality of life for those touched by donation." Through the foundation's programs, they have inspired and influenced over thousands of young adults by sharing facts and information about organ and tissue donation so they can make educated decisions. Based in

, they are able to spread donor awareness at several events throughout the year such as during the

Winter X Games Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures d ...

and during their own popular event called Summit For Life, a nighttime uphill race up Aspen Mountain.

References

External links

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Donor Dudes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klug, Chris 1972 births American male snowboarders Living people Snowboarders at the 1998 Winter Olympics Snowboarders at the 2002 Winter Olympics Snowboarders at the 2010 Winter Olympics Liver transplant recipients Deerfield Academy alumni Medalists at the 2002 Winter Olympics Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in snowboarding X Games athletes Sportspeople from Aspen, Colorado People from Sisters, Oregon