Jeremy will be running this year’s race in honor of his sister Stephany, who was lost in 2022 at only 33 years old.

Stephany became a hero as an organ donor, saving multiple lives, and her strength has given Jeremy the passion to tackle the impossible!

For the past four years, he has taken on numerous crazy races, but there is something special about the Leadville 100 and representing the gift of life.

Jeremy was a member of the 2023 and 2024 Leadville 100 Teams and unfortunately has not made it over the finish line yet. But he is back this year more determined than ever to cross the it!

Jeremey states, “I will finish the Leadville 100 Trail Run because I have the CKF Family!”

Sara is a retired police detective from Michigan. She has always enjoyed running, but in 2016, she decided to step up her mileage. She began with a trail marathon or two before taking on a 50k, then 50-miler, and beyond.

Sara attempted the Leadville 100 in 2023 and then 2024 with CKF, but unfortunately did not finish and she is now back for redemption!

Sara is no stranger to organ, eye, and tissue donation after 26 years in law enforcement, speaking with families as they made the decision for their loved ones to become heroes as donors.

Sara first learned about CKF when she stopped by their booth at the 2023 Leadville Expo. She loves the mission, had a great experience on the team in 2024, and has signed up with them again to cross the finish line together!

Matt’s love for running started young with running cross country and track in high school. He continued running through college, and then at the age of 40, Matt decided to test himself and run a marathon. Next came trail running which led to his love for it, and eventually grew into running ultras. Since then, he has completed 17 ultras, including three 100-mile runs.

Matt was born with a liver disease called Biliary Atresia. After surgery at a young age, he went on to live a relatively normal life until he turned 49 years old, and his liver began to fail. In 2022, Matt received a liver transplant that has since allowed him to get back to running.

This year, he will be running the Leadville 100 with CKF as he aims to be the first liver transplant recipient to complete an ultra marathon. Matthew is also a member of the CKF Ambassador Team, working nationwide to educate and inspire individuals.

Jesse has been running in the mountains for over a decade, and has taken on countless half marathons, marathons, and 50ks. He has completed 100k at both the Silver Rush and Kodiak, but unfortunately Leadville eluded him in his previous attempt.

He is ready to take up the gauntlet and run for a great cause. Jesse is great friends with teammate Jesse Libby, and when talking about wanting to finish Leadville, Libby said there is no better cause to run for.

This year Jesse will be running in honor of his grandmother who recently passed away and was a huge supporter of his running dreams!

Drew is a Colorado native who lives in Leadville! He is a Firefighter / Paramedic for South Metro Fire and has spent his whole life enjoying the outdoors. In 2020 he worked as a paramedic for the Leadville 100, which began his 4.5 year path of ultra endurance events!

Leadville is more than just a race to Drew, it is part of his life. When he decided to take on the challenge, he thought why not do some good at the same time.

Given his job, Drew has seen many medical emergencies that have resulted in transplant or donation. But beyond this his dad is a kidney donor himself! His dad donated his kidney earlier this year and Drew was left stunned and humbled by his role model who donated a piece of himself to save another’s life.

All this to say that CKF was the perfect match!

Jesse claims he is not a natural runner, he is not sure he even likes running! However during Covid with gyms closed, he looked outdoors to the mountains, and began to experience that runner’s high, when running becomes easier and your brain relaxes.

He signed up for a flurry of races including Turquoise Lake 20k and the Leadville 100. But opening day at Aspen Highlands put an immediate stop to his plans as Jesse broke his back. The following April he was back running, and on race day, Jesse managed to cross the Leadville finish line in just under 30 hours.

Since then Jesse has run many races across the US, including the 2022 Leadville with CKF. While he did not cross the finish line that time, but he did find a new passion in supporting the Chris Klug Foundation, and is back for 2025!