Ability. Drive. An unwavering determination to succeed against the odds. This defines The Synergy Company™ founder Mitchell May and it also defines Chris Klebl. Chris, a member of the U.S. Ski Team, is a paraplegic athlete whom The Synergy Company is proud to sponsor. An active competitor all his life, Chris has not let a near-fatal 1995 snowboard injury change his lifestyle. He hung up his snowboard and turned to cross country skiing. Chris uses sit-skis that he designs and builds himself, and maintains a rigorous year-round training schedule to keep him at the top of his game. Chris won first place in three races at the U.S. Nationals last year and finished sixth in the Men’s Relay at the 2006 Paralympics in Torino, Italy his first Olympics competition.

Chris talked to us recently about his life as a racer and his experience with The Synergy Company products. “As a member of the U.S. Ski Team, I not only train hundreds and hundreds of hours per year, but I also spend considerable time on the road at camps and races. All of this adds up to significant stress on my body. Since I am looking for peak performance, I need to support my system at the optimal level. I take Pure Synergy® to promote overall well-being and endurance and for its profound antioxidant protection. I take Vita Synergy® for the strong nutritional foundation and tonifying element it offers my system.

“I always get sore throats from the aerobic breathing at high altitudes,” continued Chris, “but since using Synergy’s Healing Honey®, these are gone. Pure Radiance C® helps strengthen my immune system better than any vitamin C product I’ve ever tried. The entire line of Synergy products is an incredible complement to my overall health and nutrition plan. In addition to helping me feel great despite the stress of training and international travel, the products help me recover quicker from my workouts and races so that I can start the new training day as fresh and rested as possible.”

Chris has also been a volunteer to use ZymoGenesis®, a new digestive enzyme product that The Synergy Company will introduce this summer. “I love this product. It helps my digestion as well as supports my joints and speeds recovery times. I use it to reduce the swelling that comes along with my intense training.”

Chris also commented on the philosophy behind The Synergy Company: “I am very selective about the companies I choose to work with, not only because I need industry-leading products but also because I need to feel a connection to their business philosophy and their employees. Synergy has been an incredible fit in both regards. I have seen the care and attention to detail that goes into every step of the production process that creates these incredible supplements. There are no shortcuts or compromises and every ingredient is held to the highest standard. When I visited The Synergy Company's production facility, the overwhelming sense I had was that every person there truly cared about their involvement in the finished product and loved their job. This allows for such incredible products to be delivered to the customer. I am very happy to be part of the Synergy family and to be working with such dedicated individuals.”

Congratulations to Chris, who did a great job at this year’s 2006 Paralympics, held in March in Torino, Italy. Here are Chris’ stats:

Men’s 5K Sitting (23rd place)

Men’s 10K Sitting (18th place)

Men’s Relay: 1 x 3.75K + 2 x 5K: (6th place)

Men’s 15K Sitting (11th place)

Chris is strong on endurance events, doing better as the distance gets longer. Overall, Chris was pleased with his performance but is already looking ahead. “I feel like I have 10 years until I hit my peak,” said Chris. “I’m definitely planning to be in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2010.” Visit Chris and stay up to date with his latest racing achievements at www.chrisklebl.com.

Synergy Products Pass Rigorous U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Test

Other than training and improving performance times, the biggest concern for every world-class athlete competing today is drug testing. This is serious business – the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) spends $2 million per year on research related to preventing the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports. Since 2002, the USADA has hosted an annual symposium on anti-doping science, which has included anti-doping program administrators, laboratory directors, pharmaceutical industry scientists, and academic scientists from around the globe. In 2005 alone, the USADA conducted more than 7500 drug tests. In this program Chris Klebl was tested three times last year.

Athletes that use dietary supplements to enhance performance are particularly at risk, as they must always be concerned about the supplements they take. A bold-faced warning on the USADA website states, “THE USE OF VITAMINS, MINERALS, HERBS, AMINO ACIDS AND OTHER DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS IS COMPLETELY AT THE ATHLETE’S OWN RISK OF COMMITTING A DOPING VIOLATION.”

The site continues, “ALL athletes are advised to be extremely cautious about the use of any vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids or other dietary supplements. No guarantee can be given that any particular supplement, including vitamins and minerals, ergogenic acids, and herbal remedies, is free from prohibited substances.”

This is a valid fear, as many dietary supplement products are not tested and may contain substances not declared on the label. Unsuspecting athletes have been disqualified when small amounts of forbidden substances have shown up in their systems during random testing.

Weighing in on this critical issue, Chris agreed that this is a major concern throughout the athletic community, but added that he no longer worries. “Since I am randomly drug tested over the course of the year, I have to be very careful about the products I put into my body. After using Synergy products, I got my results back from the USADA and I tested negative for any prohibitive substances. That means all the Synergy products are clean.”