Athlete Bios

Olympian Snowboarder and Liver Transplant Survivor to Compete in Transplant Games
Aspen, Colorado

As Chris Klug stepped out of the elevator onto the hospital transplant floor the medical staff greeted him with, "How are you?"

"A little sore. We water-skied our brains out yesterday," said Chris Klug, the first American man named to the 1998 U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team and avid surfer, mountain biker, skateboarder and tennis player. Chris, who had been on the waiting list for a new liver for seven years, had been conditioning himself during the last few months hoping this effort would speed up his return to the professional snowboard racing tour and continue his quest to win a medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Eight years ago, Chris was diagnosed with a rare liver disease, Schlerosing Cholangitis. Today he was receiving a new organ that would save his life.

Following the surgery, Chris recovered quickly and began training six weeks post transplant. His hard work paid off. In December 2000, only five months post transplant, Chris Klug won a World Cup victory in the parallel giant slalom. Next year, at the 2002 Winter Olympics, he hopes to win a medal for the United States in one of the snowboarding events. This June, Chris will have a chance to compete in an entirely different arena, the National Kidney Foundation 2002 U.S. Transplant Games in Orlando Florida. There he will race other transplant recipients with the hopes of raising the awareness of the success of organ donation and bringing home a medal in the biking competition.

All photos courtesy of the National Kidney Foundation and Jay LaPrete.
© 2002 National Kidney Foundation
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