News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Snowboard racer Chris Klug has enjoyed many triumphs, including a bronze medal finish in parallel giant snowboarding at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
His story would be inspiring enough if it was just a tale of a young man realizing his dreams in a sport he loves. But fate decreed that Chris Klug's story would be a much more profound tale of triumph.
Klug was diagnosed in the 1990s with PSC (Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis), a rare degenerative bile duct condition which required a liver transplant. On July 28, 2000, he underwent the liver transplant at the University Hospital in Denver, Colorado.
Not only did he survive his life threatening disease, he climbed back in two years to the pinnacle of his sport, and he has stayed there since.
Not content with his personal triumph, Klug has sought through his Chris Klug Foundation and other outreach programs to encourage others to live to the fullest in the face of an organ transplant - and to promote the lifesaving gift of organ donation.
Klug documented his second chance in the film "Ride of Your Life," which will premier at Sisters Movie House on Thursday, August 23. Klug will host a reception at Sisters Athletic Club at 6:30 p.m., then move to the movie house for a 7:30 screening, to be followed by a question and answer period.
Klug wants his film and his message to bring hope to those who face similar life-shaking medical crisis.
"My greatest fear was not 'am I going to live or am I going to die,'" Klug said. "It was, 'am I going to return to a compromised life.'"
Klug's answer has been a resounding "No!" and he believes his story can give others the fortitude to defy their dire circumstances, too.
Klug must take anti-rejection drugs every day, and he has to slather on the sunscreen because those drugs make him photosensitive. But he has virtually no dietary restrictions, and he obviously has no physical impairment.
"There's nothing I can't do now," he said. "I'm way healthier and stronger than I was before."
For information about Klug visit http://www.chrisklug.com. To find out more about the Chris Klug Foundation visit http://www.chrisklugfoundation.org.
The reception and screening of "Ride of Your Life" is limited to 115 people. Advance tickets are available at Sisters Athletic Club. Tickets are $20 and include a donation to the Chris Klug Foundation.
For more information call 549-6878.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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