Chris Klug autobiography hits the shelves

Chris Klug autobiography hits the shelves{mosimage}TO THE EDGE AND BACK
My Story from Organ Transplant Survivor to Olympic Snowboarder
By Chris Klug with Steve Jackson
Carroll & Graf Publishers, $14.95

If ever you feel like your life needs a little kick in the pants, then Chris Klug’s new book, To the Edge and Back, may be just what you need to start your engine. The personal story of this 2002 Olympic bronze medalist who survived a liver transplant prior to the Games is filled with so much stoke and inspiration, you’re sure to find yourself crafting your own self-improvement plan.

A Christmas gift of one of the first commercially-produced snowboards began Chris Klug’s quest for acceptance, success and an Olympic medal in a sport that had not yet been recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Klug’s snowboard journey parallels the sport’s own early days and later growing pains. His honest account of the politics surrounding snowboarding’s first foray into the Olympic Games is a glimpse behind the curtain one won’t find elsewhere. Likewise, Klug’s candid treatment of a sometimes rambunctious snowboard culture is a departure from other glossy accounts from snowboarding’s front lines.

Klug’s lifelong commitment to win an Olympic medal became intertwined with a new determination to increase organ donation awareness and participation rates when a rare liver disease threatened his life. While at the peak of his physical fitness as a world class alpine snowboard racer, Klug is diagnosed with primary schlerosing cholangitis PSC. The deterioration of his liver function eventually necessitated a liver transplant.

With the unwavering support of his family and community, Klug makes the unlikely recovery from transplant survivor to Olympic medalist. He recognizes and honors the gift of life given to him by his donor family with the choices he makes and the life he leads.

After reading To the Edge and Back, don’t be surprised if your own desire to work out, or ride your bike, or go surfing in Bali or snowboarding in Europe, or to chase your high school sweetheart or just to aim a little higher becomes undeniable.

Reviewed by Christine Sperber, U.S. Snowboarding correspondent. To the Edge and Back is now available at all chain, independent and online booksellers.