Chris Nalley frequently runs 6 miles to work, another six home.

"Going to save a lot of money on gas," said the resident of Richmond's Fan District.

Nalley's running is notable for much more than that. About two years ago, he underwent a double-lung transplant.

Today, Nalley trains in preparation for the U.S. Transplant Games. The competition, presented by the National Kidney Foundation, began 25 years ago. The goals remain the celebration of organ transplantation and promotion of organ donation.

Last week, Nalley pulled his driver's license from his wallet to prove that he has volunteered to be an organ donor. "They can take everything but the lungs," he said. "I don't know the policy on reusing those."

Nalley received new lungs in July 2006 at the University of Virginia Medical Center. In Pittsburgh, he will compete in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, a 5K race, three freestyle swimming events and a three-on-three basketball tournament.

"I'm not too religious, but I believe in a higher power, and I believe I'm here for a purpose," Nalley said. "Maybe I'll enlighten a few people. Maybe somebody will go to the [Department of Motor Vehicles] tomorrow and sign up to be a donor."

Nalley grew up in Newport News as a sports fan but was unable to play many of them because he had cystic fibrosis. He experienced shortness of breath when exerting himself. Doctors initially thought Nalley's problem was severe asthma.

Over time, the effect of antibiotics he was prescribed decreased. Nalley's condition worsened. Several years ago, he was working and living in Northern Virginia and "I just couldn't breathe anymore," Nalley said. "My roommates had to call an ambulance. I woke up three months later on a [respirator]. They had put me in a drug-induced coma."

He now is 6-1 and 176 pounds. At his sickest, Nalley weighed 126 pounds. He desperately needed new lungs and waited about two years for them.

"He was right at the edge," said Dr. Mark Robbins, a pulmonary specialist at the University of Virginia who treated Nalley and continues to do so. "He was on oxygen. He was malnourished and very limited.

"[Cystic fibrosis] is a genetic disease. These are people who didn't necessarily smoke or have industrial exposure. It's a horrible disease which clogs your lungs, and then you're malnourished, and you die in your 20s or 30s. So that was kind of Chris' fate."

Nalley doesn't know from whom his lungs came. He was walking a few days after the transplant, jogging three weeks later. Nalley completed an 8K race five months after his transplant.

"It was a way to test these," Nalley said, motioning to his lungs.

In addition to running and swimming, Nalley plays on a flag-football team. Since the transplant, "He just sort of grabbed life by the horns," Robbins said. "In terms of his athleticism, his training, it's remarkable. It's not unique, but it's remarkable how far he's come and how motivated he is."

Nalley remains on medication that helps his body accept the new lungs. He avoids people with colds or the flu because he is susceptible to infection. Otherwise, he considers himself in excellent health and extremely fortunate that a transplant was possible through the altruism of another.

"I'm just happy to wake up," Nalley said. "I know that sounds like such a cliché, but it's true. I'm happy to wake up. That's it."