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How can you not admire Hall of Famer Chris Klug? |
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Monday, November 07, 2011 21:23 |
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Chris Klug at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Courtesy of Chris Klug and photographer Dennis Schroeder
By Scott Condon, The Aspen Times
BROOMFIELD, Colo. — When Chris Klug was a kid, he was inspired by U.S. Olympic heroes such as downhill racer Billy Johnson and skater Eric Heiden. He dreamed of someday being an Olympian himself but realized it was far-fetched.
Klug was a 9-year-old skateboarder when he first witnessed snowboarding. He instantly knew he had to get into it. He was content to hit the slopes and pursue his passion.
“I didn't get into snowboarding to be in the Olympics,” said Klug, who was born in Aspen, grew up in Bend, Ore., and moved back to Aspen with his family soon after he graduated high school.
Klug, 38, went on to become a three-time Olympian. He was on the U.S. team when snowboarding was first accepted as an Olympic sport in Nagano, Japan, in 1998. He finished sixth in the giant slalom. He went on to compete in the 2002 and 2010 games.
His resume speaks for itself. Few athletes can perform at a top level long enough to compete in three Olympic games over 12 years.
But his story is even more remarkable because of the challenges he conquered along the way. He was diagnosed with a rare, slow-acting liver disease in the early 1990s. He competed with no problems in 1998, but by 2000 his life was in jeopardy.
Read about the boy who saved Klug's life and his thoughts about the Hall of Fame at the Aspen Times website.
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