Alex has been a supporter of CKF for years, and has raced on the CKF Leadville 100 MTB and Unbound Gravel Teams numerous times.

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 up the challenge again in 2026!

Racing the Leadville 100 is not just about finishing one of toughest mountain bike races in the world for Andy but it is racing for a purpose. Andy is racing for CKF as he believes in what is stands for: hope and second chances!

Andy notes that the hours of training and exhaustion races like this bring remind him how lucky he is to have his health and the opportunity to push himself to his limits. He wants to use that privilege to raise awareness and support others.

The Leadville 100 has always represented more for Andy and with every mile he plans to celebrate the gift of life, challenge himself and help promote the foundations work to raise awareness.

Jeff is 40 years old, married, and has two young girls (2 & 4).

Avid backcountry skiers, gravel riders, and mountain bikers, Jeff and his wife met in Boston. They moved to Colorado 11 years ago, and have spent 8 of those in the Roaring Fork Valley, including Carbondale, where Jeff owns and operates Good Earth Landscaping.

A field sports athlete in college, Jeff avoided endurance sports for years. Peer pressure and the opportunity to spend time with friends and his siblings forced him into an early career as an ‘off-the-couch triathlete’, retiring after completing Ironman Maryland. He was then tricked into participating in skimo to build endurance for bigger backcountry adventures.

For several years, Jeff participated in the Pan-Mass Challenge with his brother and sister, together raising over $40,000 for cancer research. Through that, he matched through a registry and became a bone marrow donor in 2012.

This will be Jeff’s second year on team CKF and he is ready to take up the cause again.

Rafael Evandre Molina Gomez was born and raised in Costa Rica, where he was a tour guide for whitewater rafting, zip-lining, rappelling waterfalls, mountain biking, and nature hikes. 

Evandre met his love, Sarah, when she doing medical training in Costa Rica. They dated long distance for 2 years before getting married and moving to the US.

Evandre and Sarah moved to Charleston, SC, had two babies in 3 years, and moved to Chattanooga.

Evandre is a coach for middle and high school teams. His son is a team member, and his daughter will join next year. For Evandre, this is the best part of riding—the fact that he can do it with his kids. 

Evandre had such a blast racing with Team CKF in 2025 that he is back again for 2026!

A native of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Philip grew up cycling and ultimately joined the University of Delaware's road racing team.  

Though a career, family, and other pursuits led to a 15-year hiatus, Philip recently rediscovered his love for cycling when he purchased a mountain bike to ride with his sons. 

Not content to putter around local trails, Philip's competitive nature kicked in. He began looking for 'bucket list' events to participate in and found Leadville. He raced with the team in 2025 and won a spot for 2026, but decided the race would not be the same without racing for CKF!

Now a resident of Elkton, Maryland, Philip and his wife, Lauren, stay busy with 3 sons and 1 daughter. 

When not training or shuttling kids around, Philip works as a natural gas trader for a leading national energy supplier.  

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 (23,000 ft) twice.

Jon is a great friend of Chris Klug and has served on the CKF Board since its inception! He has been inspired by Chris’s story and the message he sends to everyone on the transplant waitlist.

Jon is aiming to finish his 25th Leadville 100!

Dan grew up in a small town north of Pittsburgh, PA. He went to college at Boston College, completed medical school at Georgetown University, and moved back to Boston to finish his residency and fellowship program in dermatology and Mohs surgery.

Six years ago, Dan moved to Colorado with his beautiful wife, Maggie. Their adorable toddler, Aria, already loves going for bike rides in the trailer. 

Specializing in skin cancer surgery, Dan deals with a large number of post-transplant patients who are at a higher risk for skin cancer.

Dan road with CKF both in 2024 and 2025 and is excited to come back again for his third Leadville as an experienced team member and soon-to-be second-time dad!

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.

Chris is back with vengeance this year after experiencing his first Leadville DNF in 15 years due to a crash in 2025. He is ready to cross the line for the 15th time!

Paul is back chasing his first Leadville finish after a “pretty decent crash” in Leadville 2024! It is a race that has always lived on his bucket list that he is ready to tick off with the help of CKF. The crash was a set back and the recovery was brutal but he is ready to push himself out of his comfort zone.

When Paul decided to race again he knew immediately he wanted to race with CKF and race for a bigger purpose to raise awareness for donation. He loved the sense of community and shared purpose he experienced on the team in 2024 and wanted to have that behind him as he shoots for the finish line this year.

Paul has raced numerous challenges in his life including five Ironman events!

Dean is racing with CKF again this year to raise awareness for the cause and support Paul in his bid to finish his first Leadville 100! Dean has been a long time supporter of the foundation and helped numerous riders complete the Leadville 100 and other races.

Dean began biking in Australia including securing national level placing in BMX followed by road racing at the elite level. After a 10 year break and a move to the United States he began racing elite mountain bike cross country and endurance which has seen him compete in numerous single and multi-day events across the globe.

Since 2009 Dean has been a top level coach working with a mix of World Tour Professionals, domestic pros and amateurs. Each year he kindly supports Team CKF by hosting a coaching session with our racers to help them over the line!

Peter is an endurance athlete, father, clinical psychologist dedicated to human performance and resilience. To him endurance sport is more than competition; it’s about testing limits, learning about hardship and finding meaning in the process of persistence.

He began racing as a teenager competing in running and mountain biking events before moving into collegiate cycling. After graduating he biked across the US in 50 days and that ride sparked a lifelong connection with endurance challenges.

Professionally, Peter serves as an attending Psychologist with the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs specializing in rehabilitation and resilience. He works to help them recover from trauma, illness and injury, while guiding them to rediscover their identity and purpose.

Earlier in his career he worked directly on organ transplant teams providing psychological assessments and supporting donors, recipients and families. Those experiences left a lasting impression and respect for the courage it takes to endure the transplant journey and the transformative gift of donation.

Ultimately, as a fathee peter hopes to show his two children that dedication matters and real success comes from courage and compassion. Through this race, he aims to honor those awaiting transplant, celebrate those who have received the gift of life and ride for a cause that embodies the very spirit of endurance.

Reach out today to join the team

Reach out today to join the team

Reach out today to join the team