Olympic Athletes Naturally Want

OLYMPIC ATHLETES NATURALLY WANT to go for the gold. But in the 2002 Winter Games, Chris Klug’s bronze in the men’s snowboarding parallel giant slalom looked golden. Klug couldn’t have been happier with his medal . . . he was just happy to be alive.

Less than a year and a half before the Games, Klug, suffering from a rare degenerative condition, received a liver transplant that saved his life. And less than two months after surgery, Klug was back on the slopes.

Despite his hard work, Klug wasn’t a favorite in Salt Lake City. He barely made it past the first round by defeating Jerome Sylvestre of Canada by .05 seconds. (Competitors in parallel giant slalom race side by side on their snowboards through a series of gates. The athlete with the lowest combined time in two head-to-head races moves on.) And in the quarterfinals, Klug trailed Germany’s Walter Feichter by .75 seconds after the first run. But in the second race, Feichter fell and Klug continued.

Klug finally lost in the semis to eventual gold-medalist Philipp Schoch of Switzerland. Richard Richardsson of Sweden earned the silver.

EXTRA < < < < < < < < < < < < < <

POINT Doctors did an amazing thing for Chris Klug on July 28, 2000. By giving him a new liver, they allowed him to extend his life and follow his dreams. And he made his dreams come true by bringing home a medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Klug said he felt fortunate to be alive—to be given a second chance at life. When Jesus Christ walked the earth, he healed lots of sick people. He wanted to give everybody a second chance at life, even people society didn’t think had a good chance of surviving. When the religious leaders asked Jesus why he spent time with hurting people, the Savior matter-of-factly answered that sick people need a doctor; healthy people don’t.

GOAL! Can you think of any sick people around you? Maybe they don’t need a new liver like Chris Klug. Perhaps they’re caught up in drugs or sex or damaging relationships. Sickness comes in a lot of forms. Thank Jesus that he can heal any sickness. Pray for your friends, tell them about the Great Physician, and watch God work.