Member-only story

My Story From Organ Transplant Survivor To Olympic Snowboarder

Darnell Mitchell

·7k Followers· Follow

Published in To The Edge And Back: My Story From Organ Transplant Survivor To Olympic Snowboarder

4 min read · 2 weeks before

299 View Claps

45 Respond

Save

Listen

I was born with a rare and life-threatening heart condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. It meant that I only had half a heart and needed a heart transplant to survive. I was incredibly fortunate to receive a heart transplant when I was just six months old. Thanks to my amazing donor and the incredible care I received, I survived.

To the Edge and Back: My Story from Organ Transplant Survivor to Olympic Snowboarder

by Chris Klug

4.1 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3062 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	360 pages

Growing up, I was always smaller and weaker than other kids. I had to take anti-rejection medication every day, which made me tired and nauseous. I was often bullied and teased because of my condition. But I never let it get me down. I was determined to live my life to the fullest.

One day, when I was 10 years old, I saw a group of kids snowboarding on the mountain behind my house. I was instantly mesmerized. I had always wanted to try snowboarding, but I didn't think I could do it with my heart condition. But that day, I decided to give it a try.

I fell down a lot at first, but I kept getting back up. I was determined to learn how to snowboard. And after a few weeks of practice, I was finally able to stand up on the board and actually snowboard down the mountain. It was an amazing feeling.

I snowboarded every chance I got. I loved the feeling of freedom and speed. Snowboarding gave me a sense of purpose and accomplishment. It made me feel like I could do anything.

When I was 16, I decided to try out for the US Paralympic Snowboarding Team. I knew it would be a long shot, but I wanted to give it my all. I trained hard and competed in several races. And to my surprise, I made the team.

Competing for the US Paralympic Snowboarding Team was an incredible experience. I got to travel all over the world and compete against the best snowboarders in the world. I won several medals, including a gold medal at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

My journey from organ transplant survivor to Olympic snowboarder has been an amazing one. It has taught me the power of the human spirit and the importance of never giving up on your dreams. I hope my story inspires others to overcome their own challenges and to live their lives to the fullest.

I am so grateful for the gift of life that I have been given. I am committed to using my platform to raise awareness about organ donation and to help others who are facing challenges.

Thank you for reading my story.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

To the Edge and Back: My Story from Organ Transplant Survivor to Olympic Snowboarder

by Chris Klug

4.1 out of 5