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To the Edge and Back: My Story from Organ Transplant Survivor to Olympic Snowboarder


by Chris Klug
by Steve Jackson

List Price: $14.95
Price: $11.66
You Save: $3.29 (22%)
Available: Usually ships in 24 hours
Sales Rank: 583613
Studio: Da Capo Press
Binding: Paperback
Number Of Pages: 360
Publication Date: November 05, 2004
Publisher: Da Capo Press


FORMATS

  • Illustrated


EDITORIAL REVIEWS

Product Description
Displaying faith, courage, and perseverance, snowboard racer Chris Klug battled for years to have his "extreme" sport accepted in the mainstream. He rose through the World Cup ranks and won a bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics less than two years after undergoing a lifesaving liver transplant. Not since Lance Armstrong's It's Not About the Bike has a stricken athlete's story been as poised to transcend the sport. In 1996, during snowboarding's World Cup season, Chris was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis—the same disease that would cause the death of his childhood hero, football great Walter Payton. His four-year wait for a donor came to an end when his rapidly failing liver prompted doctors to move him up on the transplant list. With the shooting death of a thirteen-year-old boy, Chris was given the organ that gave him a second chance at life. From his youth as a high school football hero, to his campaign for snowboarding's acceptance, and through surgery, recovery, and Olympic glory, every setback and victory in Chris Klug's ride is riveting. To the Edge and Back will be cherished as a story of an athlete who represents the best of the human spirit.


CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 5 reviews)

A modern sports autobiography  
Chris Klug and Steve Jackson's account of the Olympian's triumphant life is an excellent example of the modern sports autobiography: Truly spoken, well-written, and a glimpse inside a sport not too many readers probably know too much about. But it's Klug's life -- so far -- that intrigues. Like Lance Armstrong, Klug has faced adversity outside of sports and conquered it, making his athletic achievement so much more important and interesting. Top-notch work.
January 31, 2005

Excellant Book Amazing  
This is simply an amazing story. From beginning to end, it instills a sense of wanting to go out and live life to the fullest. It has everything a great book should. This book will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate life. A great inspirational story, everyone should have this in his or her collection. This book appeals not only to skiers and snowboarders but also across generations.
January 12, 2005

What a story!  
This is one of the most motivational books I have read. If you finish reading this book and aren't totally stoked about attacking life, you need serious help.

Imagine having a dream to be on an Olympic Snowboarding team BEFORE snowboarding was even accepted at most ski resorts, BEFORE snowboarding was even considered a sport. If I learned one thing while reading this book, it was to never tell a kid something is impossible.

I'd highly recommend this book as a present for parents to give their snowboarding teens. It shows how dedication, hard work and never giving up on yourself can be your ticket to anywhere.


November 28, 2004

Epic Tale  
From the moment I picked up this book I had a tough time putting it down. This book will have you both laughing hysterically and crying. "To The Edge and Back" is not only a truly inspirational story of Chris Klug and his epic story of going from Organ Transplant survivor to Olympic Athlete; it also speaks to the history and character of the sport of snowboarding. From it's beginnings as an "outcast" sport that "will never last" to becoming an Olympic sport, "To the Edge and Back" gives us a peak into what snowboarding (and its athletes) are all about and the obstacles that the sport has had to overcome.

The book tells a story of a dream, and an athlete who refused to ever let go of that dream even while facing head-on the reality of his own impending mortality. Seeing & feeling the impact of organ donation from both sides, both the donor family and the recipient, truly makes this an epic read and a story that needs to be heard/read by all.
November 17, 2004

Moving and Inspirational!!!  
Before picking up the book, everyone should be ready for an incredibly inspiring story. Having survived a liver transplant to return to a professional athletic career, and then win an olympic medal should leave anyone in complete awe. Comparisons to Lance Armstrong and his book campaign will abound. However, in "To the Edge and Back," Klug does much more than just inspire. The story is an incredible one of course, but this piece is also very well written and impeccably put together. Each of the chapters brings the reader to (and sometimes past) the verge of tears, and then moments later has one holding his/her sides in laughter. What will seem to many as a story primarily about overcoming unimaginable odds offers much more as Klug pays homage to his sport, his friends and his family. The book is clearly an influential work for Chris's primary cause of organ donation, and shows readers the importance of the medical miracle and the necessity for more organ donors right here in America. This is a must read for all athletes, but is a moving and entertaining work that should find its way onto bookshelves and bedside tables world wide.
November 09, 2004


SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Perfect Match: A Kidney Transplant Reveals the Ultimate Second Chance
by Janet Hermans

Organ Transplants: Making the Most of Your Gift of Life
by Robert Finn

The Gift of Life 2: Surviving the Waiting List and Liver Transplantation
by Parichehr Yomtoob; Laura Yomtoob; Deborah Wepler

The Gift that Heals: Stories of hope, renewal and transformation through organ and tissue donation
by Reg Green

The Puzzle People: Memoirs Of A Transplant Surgeon
by Thomas Starzl

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