To the Edge and Back: My Story from Organ Transplant Survivor to Olympic Snowboarder [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Chris Klug (Author), Steve Jackson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

After TO THE EDGE AND BACK, don't be surprised if your own desire . . . to aim a little higher becomes undeniable. -- U.S. Snowboarding News

Chris Klug has shown the courage, resolve, and faith that make me proud to call myself a fellow transplant recipient. -- Sean Elliot, former NBA star and transplant recipient

Chris Klug is a model for us all with his courage, perseverance, and will to live.... A true American hero. -- Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Description

Snowboarder Chris Klug battled for years to have his extreme sport accepted in the mainstream, 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. An inspiration to millions worldwide, Klug gives us his remarkable story of survival and triumph in TO THE EDGE AND BACK.

In 1996, during snowboarding's World Cup season, Klug was diagnosed with primary schlerosing cholangitis--the same disease that would cause the death of football great Walter Payton. In April 200, Klug's liver began to fail so rapidly that doctors, fearing the worst, moved him up on the transplant list. Through surgery, recovery, and Olympic glory, every setback in Chris Klug's ride is riveting. This is a must-read for the millions of people in the organ donor community as well as all Americans looking for a story of an athlete who represents the best of the human spirit. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• ISBN-10: 0786714220
• ASIN: B000CEXTTI
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #891,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving and Inspirational!!!, November 8, 2004

By	Michael C. Shea "Mike Shea" (Manchester, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: To the Edge and Back: My Story from Organ Transplant Survivor to Olympic Snowboarder (Paperback)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Epic Tale, November 17, 2004

By	Tad J. Dobson "Tad Dobson" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: To the Edge and Back: My Story from Organ Transplant Survivor to Olympic Snowboarder (Paperback)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellant Book Amazing, January 11, 2005

By	Michael Mishler (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: To the Edge and Back: My Story from Organ Transplant Survivor to Olympic Snowboarder (Paperback)

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.