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sports Diamars 14 December 2021

On road to 5th Olympics, White finds the risk is worth it

(AP) — One of Shaun Olympic pursuits. White was
White’s greatest fears is famously helicoptered off the
finding himself upside halfpipe in New Zealand after
down above a halfpipe a grizzly wreck in the run-up
with no idea where he’s to the 2018 Olympics. When
going to land. he overcame the 62-stitch in-
jury to his face and won the
Time and again over two de- gold medal in Pyeongchang,
cades, he has decided the risk it marked a stunning crescen-
is worth it. do to a comeback that even
he wasn’t sure was possible.
As he embarked this month
on the quest to make his fifth White believes the key to an
Olympics, the world’s most athlete putting him or herself
famous halfpipe rider says at risk over and over again is
living a life full of calculated knowing you’re doing it for
risks is still part of his DNA the right reasons — a key
— a mindset that, these days, component missing from
is less taken for granted in all- Biles’ mindset when she
or-nothing sports such as his stepped away.
than it was a mere 12 months
ago. “It’s scary to be out there
alone,” White said. “And
“I’ve been lost in the air be- when you go out and do that,
fore, and it’s terrifying,” you want it to be your choice.
White said in an interview You don’t want to feel like
with The Associated Press. you have to do this because
“You’re flying around and of some reason other than,
you don’t know where you ‘Hey, I want to do this.’”
are and you’re hoping for the ting his head and neck on the style contest in 2014 — part that was not accepted in the
best. The sky color matches The stakes will be every bit as lip of the halfpipe. Earlier in of a Russian adventure that mainstream. He coupled that
the color of the snow. We high, if not higher, this year. the week, freeskier Connor turned out nothing like he’d with a desire to show that not
never really had a name for A triple cork jump — in- Ladd was taken to a hospi- hoped. only was he in a legit sport,
that. I was intrigued when I volving 1620 degrees of spin tal in Denver after suffering but that he was the best at it,
heard they call it the ‘twisties’ above the halfpipe — could a traumatic head injury. His “It was hard and it was harsh,” and that, yes, you could be-
in gymnastics.” very well be the trick needed family said Ladd has made White said. “I got a bunch of come rich and famous doing
to win the Olympics. It in- progress but has a long jour- backlash from other com- it.
Simone Biles’ decision to volves another half revolu- ney ahead. petitors saying I chickened
pull out of the women’s team tion of spin than the back-to- out. But I had to be confident “After a while, drawing from
final at the Tokyo Games ear- back 1440s that White used to Another freeskier, Gus Ken- with myself and say, ‘You that same fuel of motivation
lier this year resonated with win in Korea. White used to worthy, pulled out of the know, look, this is the com- isn’t sustainable,” he said. “So
athletes throughout the elite practice the triple cork into contest. He said it’s not un- fort level, and it’s not there.’” then, you go, ’OK, cool, what
world, including White, and an air bag, but nobody has yet common for action-sports else is there? And then I look
also advanced the conversa- pulled it off in a high-stakes athletes to get lost in the air. White also finished fourth in and see things that are im-
tion about many of the men- contest. the halfpipe that year. The portant to me: Being a good
tal-health challenges Olym- “I didn’t have a sense of setbacks forced him to step friend. Being someone who
pians face. Meanwhile, at the season’s where the sky and the ground back and rethink what made others can count on. I had to
first Olympic qualifying and everything was, and that’s him love snowboarding, and take this hard look at what I
Just as twisting and somer- event this week, everyone saw why I pulled out,” said Ken- all the risk that comes with it, was doing, and now, this un-
saulting over a vault can be the risks involved. In Satur- worthy, who won the silver in the first place. derstanding of who I am in
a life-threatening endeavor, day’s final of the U.S. Grand medal in slopestyle in 2014. the greater picture has really
doing the same over an icy, Prix, Japanese rider Raibu Part of the mission between helped me with everything.
rock-hard halfpipe is among Katayama had to be taken by White withdrew from snow- 2014-18 was to get back to With feeling content.”
the most dangerous of sled off the course after hit- boarding’s Olympic slope- the top, and do it without so
much noise from the outside Don’t get him wrong. He’d
— sponsors, business proj- still like to win on Feb. 11,
ects and the like. the day the gold medal is
awarded on the mountains
It’s like that again this time outside of Beijing.
around, but with an even
tighter-knit feel. If he does, it will add to an al-
ready legendary trophy case.
He’s working with his broth- If he doesn’t — well, it won’t
er, Jesse, again, and is in a re- be the first time he’s come up
lationship with actress Nina short.
Dobrev, who he met at a mo-
tivational seminar, Now 35 Perhaps the biggest triumph,
and with the end of his career he says, has already been se-
much closer than the begin- cured. He’s still doing this at
ning, White says he’s enter- age 35, and he’s ready to give
ing this Olympic journey everything in a quest for a
with a refined perspective on fifth Olympics because he’s
what’s really important. doing it for the right reasons.

In his teens and 20s, he bat- “I’m feeling motivated and
tled against cynics who won- I’m feeling like I can,” White
dered why he was devoting said. “It’s a different feeling
his life — putting his life on but the drive and the motiva-
the line, in fact — for a sport tion is there.”