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Klug, Chris
- Two-time Olympian, became the first transplant recipient to win an Olympic medal in 2002 when he earned a bronzed in parallel giant slalom (was sixth in 1998)
- Recipient of the 2002 U.S. Olympic Spirit Award
- Six-time U.S. National PGS champion
- Broke his collar bone at the 2005 Winter X Games causing him to miss the rest of the season
- Won King of the Mountain twice and became overall Grand Prix bronze medalist in 2003
- 2004 World Cup Finals bronze medalist
- Was first U.S. man to qualify for the first U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team in 1998
- Began snowboarding in Moon Boots, of which the number of wraps of duct tape determined the flex
- Wrote "To The Edge and Back: My Story from Organ Transplant Survivor to Olympic Snowboarder," released in November 2004
- Hosts a camp for kids to learn from top snowboarders like Gretchen Bleiler, Anton Pogue, himself and others and improve their snowboarding skills
- Says "Bob Marley still rules!"
- Plays guitar and is a major sports enthusiast with surfing, mountain biking, kiting, wake skating, sand volleyball, tennis and golf among his favorites
- Favorite places to surf are Costa Rica, Chile, Bali and Oregon
- Was an all-state high school quarterback
Klug went through the scare of his life two years ago, undergoing a liver transplant in June 2000 after being diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, a rare liver disease which affects only one in 10,000 people. Amazing, he bounced right back, and after intense physical therapy, he was back on snow just three months after surgery.
Related Links
Photo gallery: Olympic snowboarder Chris Klug
Feature: Transplant recipient's goal is golden
Official Web site: Chris Klug
Video: Bronze Medalist: 2002 Video: Interview montage...
Video: 2002 Video: On boardin'
On winning an Olympic bronze in 2002: “It was a dream come true. It was awesome being able to win on my home turf, just six hours from my home in Aspen, after the medical challenges I was able to over come.”
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Height: 6' 3
Born: 11/18/1972
Hometown: Aspen, Colo.
Sport: Snowboarding
Event: Snowboarding (alpine)
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