Liver recipient Klug settles for seventh in Vancouver Olympic Games

See my recent post about Chris Klug who received a liver transplant in 2000 and with tremendous determination transformed himself into an Olympic athlete. Although Chris didn't win a medal in Vancouver he is an inspiration to us all and continues to be an advocate for organ and tissue donation.


Aspen Daily News
The Roaring Fork Valley’s last chance for a medal at the Vancouver Olympic games came up short on Saturday.

Aspen’s Chris Klug, in his third Olympic appearance, finished 7th in the men’s snowboarding parallel giant slalom event on Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain.

Klug made it to the semi-finals of the event, where he was bested by Slovenia’s Zan Kosir. Klug was behind more than a second and a half in both of the round’s two runs.

Veteran Canadian snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson took the gold — and his first Olympic medal — while Benjamin Karl, of Austria, won silver, and Mathieu Bozzetto, of France, edged out Russia’s Sanislav Detkov for the bronze.

Klug has the best American finish in the event, with Tyler Jewell, of Steamboat Springs, placing 13th overall.

Thirty-seven-year-old Klug has two top-eight results in World Cups this season, including fifth — one spot behind Jewell — in Krieschberg, Austria. His first Olympic experience came in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. He is also the only organ transplant recepient to ever medal (a bronze in the 2002 Salt Lake City games).

“For me, first and foremost, I love doing the sport and that’s why I’m here,” Klug told the Aspen Daily News last week. “But a huge motivating factor for me to continue snowboarding and pursue a third Olympic bid was the opportunity to share a message that’s really important to me, and that is the life-saving message of organ and tissue donation. I’m here today because of it.”

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Register to be an organ and tissue donor & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants. One tissue donor can help up to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant.

Liver recipient competes in Vancouver Olympics

By Allan Dowd Reuters
American snowboarder Chris Klug is more than just happy to be in the Olympics, he is happy to be healthy and alive and is using the Vancouver Games to get out the message on organ donors and recipients.

The 37-year-old Aspen, Colorado resident, who was suffering a rare degenerative condition, received a liver transplant in 2000 and now hopes that adding to his Olympic medal collection will prove a point.

"It is important that other people going through the process that I did almost 10 years ago see what is possible after a transplant," Klug told reporters on Tuesday as he waits to compete in the men's parallel giant slalom on Feb. 27.

"I'm healthier and stronger than I was before my transplant, and people ought to know that."

Klug, who won bronze in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and became the first athlete to win an Olympic medal after having a major organ transplant, is working with health officials in Vancouver to publicize the need for organ donors.

He competed in the 1998 Nagano Games, when snowboarding made its Olympic debut, and acknowledges Vancouver will probably be his last Olympics.

Klug's previous Olympic experiences, both good and bad, have taught him some valuable lessons for how to enjoy his time in Vancouver. He looked relaxed as he chatted to reporters.

"One of my mantras and goals this time is just enjoy the ride. Take it all in."

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Register to be an organ and tissue donor & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants. One tissue donor can help up to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant.

Let the Olympic Games Begin - Feb 12

Schedule of events


Support Team Canada

Support Team USA

Feb 12 was the final leg of the Olympic Torch as it made its way to the opening ceremony and the official lighting of the Olympic Flame. The torch made it's way completely across Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific and thousands of people were chosen to be torch bearers. Some of my favorites were Kurt Penner of London, Ontario, a double-lung transplant survivor of almost 8 years and Shania Twain who carried the torch in her home town of Timmins, Ontario. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California carried the torch today along with other celebrities. He seemed to be the most popular torch bearer of the day, with huge crowds making it difficult for him to proceed while shouting "Arnold"..."Arnold".

Kurt Penner carries the torch through the streets of Woodstock, Ontario. Kurt received a double-lung transplant in 2002 and has been active in the transplant games and an advocate for organ donation awareness ever since.

Music star Shania Twain lights the Olympic Torch in her home town of Timmins, Ontario

Support Team USA at the Winter Olympics

It's my pleasure to post this request from Team USA in the hope of spreading the word to support Team USA athletes in Vancouver this February.

"Hi Merv

On February 12, the world will gather to watch top athletes from around the globe compete in the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Athletes from Team USA, who have been training their entire lives will take the stage to represent our country. I'm writing with the hope that you could share the news about Team USA with the readers of Merv Sheppard's Transplant Network.

Anyone who registers on Teamusa.org will have access to the latest info and will receive exclusive updates throughout the games. I've put all that information including some very cool Team USA widgets and banners into this social media news release here:

http://teamusanews.org

Please let me know if you are able to post or tweet and if you could send me the link that would be fantastic. By spreading the word we can all help support our Team USA athletes bring home the gold.

Thank you so much,

Liza
--
Liza Peiffer,
Team USA News"

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Register to be an organ and tissue donor & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants. One tissue donor can help up to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant.