Cason resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife and five kids. Mountain biking has always been his outlet, and since he is turning 40 this year, Cason has his sights set on finishing the Leadville 100!

Cason grew up in Southern California. After high school, he spent two years in Uruguay, serving as a missionary for his church and working to help communities there. He is Vice President of a tech company in Denver, and enjoys cycling, skiing, and surfing in his spare time.

Cason found a passion for donation and transplant when his cousin’s daughter was born with an undeveloped heart and faced many barriers during her childhood. After defying the odds and four major surgeries, she made it to age 16, but with no further options, she has been placed on the transplant waitlist. She is currently on standby to fly to Stanford for the transplant.

Therefore, CKF’s mission resonates strongly with Cason. He is ready to help increase awareness and raise funds for organ, eye, and tissue donation.

Brian is a longtime Colorado resident who loves the outdoors. He is a former competitive runner turned mountain biker, committed to a vibrant second chapter in life, and features his experiences on social media and through writing.

As an active 54-year-old, his spare time involves lots of Rocky Mountain high helmet sports, including thirty years of snowboarding and mountain biking. Most recently, he followed up on a personal promise from 1998 to become a paragliding pilot!

Brian’s good friend, Niel Hull, passed away in 2017 while looking for a kidney donor, and so Brian has decided to dedicate his race to Neil. Brian has a second connection to the gift of life as his friend, Matthew Martinez, was able to save the life of EMT, Dave Repsher, through a living kidney donation!

Brian is excited to support organ, eye, and tissue donation as he takes on the Leadville 100!

Logan has been mountain biking since he was a kid, growing up in Colorado Springs. As a dad of 3 kids under the age of 4, getting outside is key for Logan.

During the last three years, Logan has found a passion for racing. The Leadville 100 is a bucket list race for him, and he has been training to take on the beast for years. Logan is looking forward to a triple W this year of raising awareness, getting a ton of donations, and racing the ultimate MTB challenge in his home state.

Transplantation affected Logan’s life after his close friend's mother and brother both needed kidney transplants in the last few years. Logan even offered to become a living donor for them as well.

This year, Logan will be racing Leadville in honor of his cousin, a long-time Leadville 100 MTB rider who passed away last year after being hit by a car on his bike.

Jamie hails from Billings, Montana. He is a Biology major and soccer fan who moved to Colorado as a high school science teacher.

Later, he found his calling as a dentist and opened his own practice, Northstar Dental, in Lakewood, Colorado. Jamie enjoys rock climbing, skiing, biking, and spending time with his family in the mountains of Colorado.

Polycystic Kidney Disease, otherwise known as PKD, has been a defining and tragic medical concern for his family throughout the years. During the last 20 years, Jamie has seen four kidney transplants among his aunts and cousins, with the most recent in the last few months, and this is not expected to be the last.

Jamie has witnessed the difficulty of waiting, and the compassion and love it takes for an individual to donate a kidney.

Gordon embraces adventure in both his personal and professional life as a Development Partner at Gravity Haus, and works hard to build a globally conscious community for the modern adventurer.

Gordon was a young kid in Aspen when he was inspired by Chris Klug. At school, he watched as Chris competed in his first Olympics in Nagano, and then later, he watched as Chris fought back to attend the Olympics post-transplant.

Gordon has supported the Foundation for many years, competing in Summit for Life several times, and is excited to take on the challenge of the Leadville 100 MTB, as well as raise money and awareness for such a powerful, life-giving cause!

Sam is a doctor who received his degree from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, in 2010. He performed his residency in anesthesiology, and fellowship in pain medicine, before founding and running two medical practices in the Philadelphia area.

Sam is passionate about helping patients with chronic conditions. Sam was an endurance runner, completing 23 marathons and 2 Ironmans, the Mountain Masochist 50-Miler Trail Run, and the Grindstone 100 Trail Run.

Since the birth of his children, he has turned away from ultra-endurance events and dived into the world of skiing, hiking, kite surfing, and mountain biking! Leadville will be his first serious Mountain Bike Race!

As an anesthesiologist, Sam has spent many sleepless nights providing care for patients receiving transplants, and knows firsthand the lifesaving power of this remarkable and innovative treatment.

In 2011, during Hurricane Irene, Sam was on a second backup liver transplant call. During the middle of the storm, he was called in after two providers could not make it to the hospital. Determined to make it, Sam pulled on a helmet, ski mask, and winter gear to cross the city to ensure that the patient received her organ transplant. This memory will be with Sam as he takes on the Leadville 100 with CKF!

Travis is an experienced athlete and endurance coach with six Leadville 100 finishes, including a 7h 11m finish. He is also a Leadman winner.

Travis is an author and podcaster who loves to share his passion and experience.

Travis was born in 1983, the year the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike began! His dad took on his first Leadville run in 1988, two years before his mother Pam received a liver transplant. Later, Pam would also receive a kidney transplant after the transplant medication and Hepatitis C caused kidney failure. Her brother and living donor, Brian, was also a Leadville bike and run finisher! Pam’s new kidney would last for 15 years, and in 2017, she received a second kidney from her other brother, Eric, who has now finished 27 Leadville runs, and at least one bike. Travis's father planned to be his wife's donor, but unfortunately, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, preventing him from donating.

This has all led to Travis teaming up to race with CKF for the 2024 Leadville 100. Travis summarized, “Though Dad's Alzheimer's journey is increasingly uncertain, it would mean a lot to me (well, all of us) for my parents to see me riding Leadville in a CKF jersey.”

Jeff grew up splitting his time between southern California and Colorado, enjoying the outside as much as possible. A soccer fanatic and mountain bike enthusiast, Jeff’s interest in biking began young!

After college, Jeff began working on Wall Street, and neglected his love for the outdoors and an active lifestyle. He eventually moved back west and reconnected with the outdoors and his love for biking. After connecting with several individuals who had previously raced Leadville with CKF, Jeff signed up for the challenge. In 2019, Jeff took on his first Leadville 100 and learned several rookie lessons, which helped him conquer the race in 2021, finishing in under 9 hours.

After a few-years hiatus, Jeff is back to take on Leadville with Team CKF for the third time. After his first race with CKF, Jeff was inspired to support CKF and our fight to eliminate the wait for a transplant and help the over 103,000 individuals on the transplant waitlist. Jeff is looking forward to being inspired again this year by his CKF teammates.

Bodo grew up in Winnipeg, Canada, one of the coldest cities in North America. He grew up with a passion for medicine and cycling.

Bodo has competed in 4 Leadville 100 MTB races, and is excited to take on his fifth with CKF. Bodo was inspired by all those around him with incredible stories of overcoming obstacles to achieve greatness.

By trade, Bodo is a Urologist, specializing in Endourology and kidney stone disease at Ohio State University Medical Center.

As a Urologist, Bodo has plenty of experience with transplant patients, and during his residency, he assisted in organ procurement and transplant surgeries.

In 2005, Bodo began working at Ohio State, where he is Vice-Chair of Clinical Affairs for the Department of Urology. He leads the Endourology Program, and helps train the next generation of physicians and leaders. While not performing transplants anymore, Bodo works closely with recipients, and helping treat those who develop kidney stones.

Dan grew up in a small town north of Pittsburgh before heading to college in Boston. This was followed by medical school at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.

Dan completed his residency and fellowship in dermatology and Mohs surgery back in Boston.

Five years ago, Dan made a move to Denver, CO, with his wife, Maggie, and daughter, Aria. He is looking forward to taking Aria biking, but they are currently working on crawling!

Dan played hockey and skied whenever possible as a child. But it’s only since moving to Colorado that he fell in love with biking. Last year, he completed the Triple Bypass, and this year, he will take on Leadville!

Dan is inspired by Chris’ story and the work of the Foundation. He has experienced the world of transplant as a physician who specializes in skin cancer, given the higher risk transplant recipients face due to immunosuppressive medicines.

Hearing the stories and connecting with his patients is one of Dan’s favorite parts of his job, and he is always incredibly impressed by transplant recipients and their strength. Dan is honored to be part of CKF’s Bike Team, and help support those in the transplant community.

Quinn grew up in Rifle, CO, and was active in cycling from a very young age. He’s enjoyed racing, as well as riding recreationally, and partakes in almost every discipline.

Quinn is one of the current new owners of Hooch Craft Cocktail Bar in Aspen, and has embraced all of the challenges of owning a business in Aspen.

Quinn raced with Team CKF in 2023, and is excited to be back with the team and supporting such an inspirational and important cause.

Quinn was inspired by the camaraderie and support throughout his 2023 race, and was uplifted and empowered to be a small part of an organization that makes such a difference.

Bryant grew up a distance runner and was always highly competitive, but did not realize that he would be his biggest competitor! As he became older, he pushed himself further, taking on bigger and bigger challenges, and with his uncle's recommendation, he began competing in endurance triathlons. He loved it, finding it the best way to learn about one's mental and physical abilities. Leadville also seemed out of the cards until this year when he felt the call to take up the challenge.

Bryant was educated at a young age about the role organ, eye, and tissue donation plays in the lives of many in the United States. He is looking forward to raising awareness for the cause and joining Team CKF to help make a difference.

Alex has been a supporter of CKF for years and has raced on the CKF Leadville 100 MTB Team numerous times.

Alex recently moved to Minnesota, but is always looking for an excuse to come back to the mountains and support the cause of organ, eye, and tissue donation.

As Chris’s good friend, Alex has been continually inspired by the gift of life and the effect it has on not only the recipient but also their loved ones and friends.

Alex is excited to take on the challenge again after a few years’ hiatus!

Ryan’s first mountain bike race ever was the 2014 Leadville 100 with the Chris Klug Foundation, and since that day, he has been a staple member of the CKF Bike Team. Ryan resides in Venice Beach, CA, and Utah with his family. He is a dad of two, with his son Wayne being born right before the 2023 Leadville 100!

Ryan has spent years supporting the foundation and our mission after his first race in 2014. This year will be his eighth Leadville 100, and he has raced all of them with team CKF!

Paul has competed in numerous racing challenges, including five Ironman events, and Leadville is the next on his list!

Paul is a real estate developer and investor, and has always managed to integrate his professional development with a deep-seated love for the outdoors.

For the past 15 years, Paul, with his wife, Jill, and four children, have called both Philadelphia and Aspen home. Paul has become immersed in the local community as an avid biker, skier, and hiker!

While Paul understands that Leadville will be both a mental and physical challenge, he is looking forward to pushing himself out of his comfort zone.

Paul is excited to join Team CKF and support the cause of organ, eye, and tissue donation.

Jon has been an ER Physician for over 21 years. An avid cyclist, skier, and mountaineer, Jon has summited two 8000-meter peaks: Gasherbrum II in Pakistan in 1994, and Mount Everest in 2003. He has summited Denali twice (including working as a volunteer doctor on the mountain for the National Park Service), has taken part in six expeditions in South America, and five other Himalayan expeditions, including skiing from over 7000 meters (about 23,000 ft) twice.

Jon is great friends with Chris Klug and has served on the CKF Board since it’s inception! He has been inspired by Chris’ story and the message he sends to everyone on the transplant waitlist. He is shooting to finish his 23rd Leadville 100!!!

Shawn Katz resides in Brooklyn NY with his two children Pierce and Lucy, wife Elizabeth, and dog Goose. Shawn fostered his love of mountain biking while growing up in Santa Fe, NM where he went on annual mountain bike trips to Moab UT with his father. After living and working in New York City, Shawn rediscovered his love of cycling in 2020. He was introduced to coach Dean Hill of Aspen CO, and began a structured training program to improve his performance. What started as a hobby became an obsession.

Shawn began racing with the CKF team in 2022 and returned for the 2023 race! He will be back for his third Leadville with CKF and aiming to raise awareness and beat his previous times!

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 three years after being diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), a rare degenerative bile duct condition. After six years of being on the waiting list and three months at a critical stage, the day came.

On July 28, 2000, Chris received his liver transplant! “It was like a new engine was dropped in me!” Six weeks later, he was back on his snowboard. He 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 & tissue donation once he was able. The foundation just celebrated its 20th anniversary and has helped millions of people nationwide!

Chris will be taking on his 14th Leadville 100 this year.

Sean originates from the Midwest but now lives in Aspen, CO, after picking it out randomly on a map 8 years ago! Property Manager by day and Bartender at night, he likens himself to Batman. Sean joined Team CKF in 2023 to finish his first Leadville 100 and was hooked! After finishing just under 10 hours last year, he has his sights set on sub 9 hours for the legendary big buckle!

Since becoming involved with CKF, Sean has found a passion for educating individuals about the gift of life and encouraging them to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors.

Philip is a longtime resident of the Roaring Fork Valley and avid cyclist. He will be taking on Leadville for the 6th time. When not biking or chasing his two young children around Ihe is an Owner’s Representative and Land Use Consultant for construction and development projects.

Phillip is excited to join the CKF team again to ride and train together, as well as fundraise to help the Foundation’s cause.

Jeff is a native New Englander but has lived in the West (Colorado, Montana and Utah) since graduating from college where he played Division I lacrosse for UVM. In the 90s he was a soigneur and mechanic for several UCI World Tour road and UCI World Cup mountain bike teams including Leopard Trek, T-Mobile, Crédit Agricole and Univega Louis Garneau. He is also a two-time National Masters Alpine Snowboard Champion.

Jeff has spent the last fifteen years as a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in sport and performance psychology in addition to marriage and relationship coaching. He cofounded the Aspen Relationship Institute with his wife Lori. Currently living is Aspen, he and Lori write the She Said, He Said relationship advice column in the Aspen Times. This will be Jeff’s third year riding the Leadville 100 MTB with the Chris Klug Foundation.

Dean pursued a cycling path that began in Australia including national level placings in BMX followed by a move to road cycling and racing at the elite level. Following a break of some 10 years and a move to the U.S.A, Dean returned to racing targeting elite mountain bike cross country and endurance which has seen him compete in many of the toughest MTB single day and multi day stage races across the globe.

Dean founded Aspen Pro Cycling in 2009 and has coached many of CKF’s previous and current team members to the finish line. This year he will be joining the team!