UNBOUND Gravel

Johnathon Blake lives in Olathe, Kansas with his wife of twelve years, Kaitlin, and his twenty-month-old daughter, Ray.

Johnathon works as a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physician at two local hospitals.  His job and residency experience have given him the opportunity to work with patients after organ transplants and other life-changing medical events. 

Jonathan completed the 100-mile ride at Unbound Gravel last year for Team CKF and had a blast!  It was incredible for him to experience one of the best gravel rides in the world in his own backyard with not only a positive team with a great mission, but one that was amazingly supportive of his ride. 

Johnathan looks forward to the opportunity to represent CKF again in 2025.

Chris Paxton currently resides in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. He is the proud husband of Valerie, a father to Riley, Austin and Marisol, and grandfather to Avalyn and Thomas. All gifts made possible by the gift of life: organ donation.

During his sophomore year at the University of Central Missouri, Chris’ kidneys failed due to Alport Syndrome. After 8 months on dialysis, he received a kidney from his father on December 5, 1995.

Following his successful transplant, Chris picked up cycling and bike racing to stay healthy and to enhance the longevity of his transplant health. He’s since traveled the US and internationally, taking part in both the Transplant Games of America and World Transplant Games.

A passionate advocate for organ, eye, and tissue donation, Chris Team MO-KAN and serves as the Brand and Marketing Director for World Transplant Athletes.

Paul Komendacki was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He works as an operating room nurse at Rush University Medical Center, where he has had opportunities to assist with organ transplants/procurement procedures. To Paul, these surgeries represent a second chance at life for countless individuals and families.

Beyond biking, Paul finds joy and inspiration in a variety of outdoor activities including running and motorcycling. Additionally, he loves watching the White Sox, fishing, and immersing himself in nature.

Paul expresses himself through music, photography, linocuts, and mural painting, each medium allowing him to capture moments of wonder and convey messages of hope.

Through participating in this charity-led race, Paul aims to raise awareness about organ donation, honor those in need, and inspire others to see the beauty in giving the gift of life.

Troy Toman started riding bikes over 50 years ago. After extensive road cycling, including several MS 150s, he took a break after a major accident in 2013.

Troy jumped back on the bike in 2023, and fell for gravel biking in 2024 when he completed his first Unbound 100 and Big Sugar.

Troy loves to ride in gravel events, but really only races against himself. It’s all about getting a little better every ride and learning the value of doing “hard things.”

Seth is from the Kansas City area, and relatively new to bike racing. He balances a busy home life with his wife and 3 daughters (11, 8, and 4 years old), and a fulfilling but challenging work schedule as a cardiac electrophysiologist.

During his time off, Seth enjoys sharing the outdoors with his wife and children. His wife is from Aspen, Colorado (maiden name Kelly-Kate Waldron), and they love their time outdoors in Colorado.

Seth plans to do more mountain bike and gravel races in the region over the next 12 months, and racing in the Flint Hills will be highly meaningful. It has always been a cherished place in his family, and in particular for his late grandfather.

Supporting CKF and its mission will be a fantastic opportunity for Seth.

Will Hazlegrove lives in Switzerland, where he rides both road and gravel, as well as runs and hikes.

Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Will lived there for the first 26 years of his life, before moving to New York City for a brief time.

Will’s fiancé is unconvinced that cycling is as amazing as he says. But he’s hoping she will see how much fun it is in the saddle at Unbound, and ride with him next time!

In his spare time, besides fitness, Will enjoys cooking, eating, and going to restaurants.

Will cannot wait to ride with Team CKF, and to raise money for such a great cause. He will be riding Unbound with a group of three colleagues, at least one of which will also be raising money for charity.

Virgil is a 51-year-old Category 1 Mountain Bike racer, and Category 3 Road Bike racer. 

He grew up in New Mexico and spent his time gravel riding on his mountain bike and road bike. 

Virgil rode Unbound in 2021, and suffered several mechanicals.  He was signed up to participate in 2022, but suffered a bad crash racing in the months prior to Unbound and broke his collarbone and 5 ribs, thus not allowing him to race.  

Unbound is unfinished business for Virgil, and he looks forward to the opportunity to redeem his 2021 performance, while supporting CKF and organ, eye, and tissue donation.

Chip is the proud father of three wonderful kids, and the parter of a great woman. Originally from Montana, he lives in Fargo, North Dakota, and is the president of a small tech company.

Active his whole life, Chip ran cross country and track in high school, ran and started cycling in college, and dabbled in mountaineering in his 30s and 40s. He has climbed Mt. Rainer eight times, Mt. Baker twice, and Denali once. But biking is his favorite.

In 2020, Chip was scheduled to participate in his first gravel event, the Dirty Kanza. But he was derailed by two catastrophic events: Covid and a heart attack. Once he was cleared by his doctor, he was able to complete Unbound four times, and Steamboat twice.

Although having a heart attack isn’t the same as needing a new organ, Chip can certainly relate to overcoming a medical challenge, and he looks forward to representing CKF.

Cycling has been an integral part of Gordon’s life for as long as he can remember. Riding bikes since he was a kid, he started racing at just nine years old, and raced consistently throughout his childhood and teenage years. After a long hiatus, he rediscovered his love for racing at 34, and it has been a thrilling journey back into competitive cycling ever since.

Unbound Gravel holds a special place in Gordon’s heart. He raced it the last two years, and it stands out as one of his most exciting and rewarding race experiences.

This year’s Unbound is particularly exciting and meaningful for Gordon, because he gets to support and cheer for his girlfriend, who is tackling the 200-mile race!

Gordon is eager to see how his hard training translates on race day as he continues pushing his limits in the sport he loves so much.

Justin has been a member of the CKF Board for almost two years.

But his involvement with the Foundation began long before that. He has been a member of the CKF Leadville 100 MTB Team twice, the CKF NYC Marathon Team twice, and has participated in Summit for Life multiple times.

Justin is the General Manager of the Aspen Meadows Resort, and has been living in the Roaring Fork Valley for over 20 years.

This will be Justin’s first Unbound.

In 2003, Chris used $3,000 out of his own pocket to start the Chris Klug Foundation.

Chris was a professional snowboard racer when he was placed on the National Transplant Waiting List after being diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), a rare degenerative bile duct condition. He spent six years on the waitlist, critical for the last three.

On July 28, 2000, Chris received his liver transplant, and said, “It was like a new engine was dropped in me!” Six weeks later, he was back on his snowboard, and had the opportunity to represent the USA at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he won a bronze medal.

During Chris’s time on the waiting list, he promised himself he would do everything he could to spread the message of organ, eye, and tissue donation once he was able.

This will be Chris’ first Unbound.