How to Reignite a Dream After You've Lost Everything | Shaun White

- Welcome back, I'm one of the school greatness we've got, the legendary Sean White in the house, my man. So good to see you, but follow your career for a long time, we've got a lot of mutual friends and it's inspiring to see what you're able to do at 35 years of age.

Three Olympic goals is that right now? - Yeah. - Three Olympic goals. - Three Olympic, three, three goals. - Three goals, you're going back for another one. And I'm curious, how do you continue to stay so disciplined

at this age with your body, your mindset, your training, to continue preparing at this level after so many years competed? - You know, it's tough.

“Honestly, as you get older, there's just more things”

that interest you, you're enticed by this, you're in a starting to company, you know, you know, just even just normal life things like a relationship. - Right, right, right. - So, moving home, you know, like just anything like that, and I've found that like, oddly enough for me,

like taking the time to do those things actually makes me better at snowboarding because I have the, you know, the muscle memory of them done in my whole life. So it's like, you know, you're, it's like riding a bike, you know it, you know, it's just like how enthused

are you once you get there, right? So if I'm really motivated when I get to the mountain, then I'm dangerous because I'm pumped. I want to learn the new tricks and I have the ability to do that, it's just when I get there

and I maybe don't want to be there, and that's when it's really hard. So I think I've developed, not the last Olympics, but the one before that after I lost in Sochi in Russia, you know, I missed the podium, and I remember standing there,

I had the winning run. I mean, I had all the tricks to do it. I just couldn't, I just, in my head, I just knew I wasn't going to do it. - Really? - Which is really, you know, a horrible feeling,

you're like watching a movie, you can't really. - There we go. - There we go.

“- Why? - Why did you now think you could do it well?”

You know, I don't know, it's just something was just off, and I just, I, all I can chalk it up to, it's at my heart, just wasn't fully into it, and I didn't think that that fully mattered at the time. I was like, I can just go to it.

- Wait, I could've blown it in, I got the tricks. I mean, it just, something in me didn't want it. I couldn't, I couldn't get to that place. And I was in that pressure cooker situation where I was like, the last guy to go.

It's one run, that's it. I'm closing it out, and I was like, okay, this is, this is the guy going well. - So you started yourself with point out, this may not go well. - Yeah, so, oh, for sure.

I just kind of had a feeling, which is awful,

and it's hard to just snap out of that last second,

and so after that Olympics, everything I did after that was like, okay, well, it wasn't a physical thing that kept me from winning, it was a mental thing. - Interesting. - And so I'm like, what do I do now? Because it's easy to go, I wish it was physical.

I go do some sit-ups, I go learn the new hard trick. I could do whatever it was mental.

“It was like, okay, how do I make myself,”

like, or fall in love with this thing again? Like, how do you make yourself, you know, love somebody else, even like, in an insane, in that same wheelhouse, it's like, it's not an easy thing to do.

And so, or, you know, reunite that excitement. And so, I literally did everything that had nothing to do with snowboarding, I was like, okay. Like, oh, I gotta patch this relationship with my brother, like, he worked for me.

He stopped working for me.

We were good, but we never really talked.

You know what I mean? I was like, I hate how I'm afraid. - It was fake good. - Yeah, it was like, I hate how I'm portrayed on Instagram because all of a sudden, it went from, like,

a way to be in touch with my friends to like, being like, puppeteered by a sponsor, like, you're obligated to do these posts and you have to say these words. And this is before you would put ad,

run there, so everybody just thought, like, oh, I like, yeah. Chances really into, you know, whatever it is. Just little, like, all these little things. And as I started peeling them away, you know,

like, I just had less and less burden on me. And I was just kind of like a happier guy. - You started addressing these things kind of, yeah. - Yeah, the things that were right on us. I was like, oh, it's going on with my relationship,

I mean, what's going on here, you know? Like, yeah, I would love to take a vacation. I would love to, you know, you know, play music, and do it in, you know, other interests and passions and things.

And in turn, so like, even working out, like, I went to the gym because I knew that after I worked out, I just feel better, you know? I just like, I'm like, I accomplished something today. I just knew that that would make me feel good.

So I, you know, started going to the gym regularly. And then obviously, you get the benefits of working out - Gregor. - Yeah, yeah. - You're in shape. - It was ridiculous.

If it's 2014, I really started with the gym, I kind of did that I did before. But I was, you know, I was getting by. I was doing it. - Did you get to work out or lift before then?

- I did a little, but I was on the slopes. - I was a professional skateboarder, as well as no borders. So all summer long, like, I'm competing

and pumping the ramp and like, I never had a break.

So like, all the guys that just like kicked it

- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. - I was like, in the hunt, still, you know, having to be in a pressure situation, competing, exercise and all the things. So yeah, it wasn't until like 2014,

I really started working out. And then a big one was, you know, I had found a new manager, I found a new, you know, publicist to work with.

I found amazing physical therapists.

And it was just like super, like, to start building my little team with everybody that was like really, you know, on the same page and new my goal and help, you know, could help me get there and not kind of get stuck in their own.

You know, 'cause it's a very selfless sort of position to be into a system, but he else, you know, and to help them and be part of that team to get to this place, you know, they're missing birthdays and they're missing, you know, events and things,

the relationships are strange. Like all that stuff to, you know, help me get my goal. So, you know, really wonderful people in my corner. And then really awesome coach, just kind of JJ Thomas, and he's ex professional snowboarder.

I saw him at the mountain, we had fun hanging riding. And I was like, "Hey, man, you want to like, team up?" And it did just the rapport was there. And so like, I had this awesome little team around me and then when I found myself at the mountain,

I was just like excited to be there. - And the little things that used to bum me out are, you know, put me in a bad state of mind were just gone. - Where do you think you would have been?

Had you not addressed the maybe things in your life that you weren't fulfilled with yet or kind of finalized or resolved with relationships or, and without having the team to support you,

“where do you think you'd be if you didn't do those two things?”

- Well, gosh, I mean, I don't think, I think I probably would have just quit. I'm assuming. - Really? - Yeah, I mean, if, you know, why do something if it's not enjoyable?

- Yeah. - And, you know, there's a level of fun and then there's a level of fulfillment. So it's not that I'm just like, there to have a good time, like, sure,

there's moments of like, "Oh, this is really fun." We're in Austria, we're in Switzerland, we're getting, you know, a red and shnitzle and doing all that, like, sure, it's fun. But then like, you know, the fulfillment comes

when you have a goal and you actually like, it makes strides to get to that place and achieve that goal or come close and then reformulate and come back at and try to get, you know, and you finally get to that place, it's fulfilling.

And so that's something for me that like,

has always been there in the sport

and that's why competing and, you know, doing the Olympics, all these things, has always been so fulfilling is that there was that goal that was the prize at the end. - Absolutely.

- You know, something to be obtained.

“- Yeah, I think, you know, and I don't even know.”

I mean, it's hard to say and there's so much what if, but I don't know, I could have easily cruised into a third, a three-peat, and maybe you're tired of that. - Sure, I'm just like, all right.

- You know, but I got to the Olympics, it didn't go my way, I was upset, I was frustrated, and I was like, "Wow, okay, well, this is probably here to teach me some, and I remember it's so funny "and I can see it clear today, but I was at my home,

"I had a home in Malibu, and I was sitting on the bluffs, "on the water, I was sitting on the bluff, "but trying to feel really bad for myself. "I was like, "I'm a Malibu. - Yeah, I was just like, literally I'm like, "Tier it up like, "Law it, you blew it, you're in it,

"you're like, I could have done this, or why didn't I do that, "and then all these what ifs, and you're brain can just "deenumbers on you, so I'm sitting there spiraling, "and I look out in this whale, just jump in there, "I was like, "Oh my God, right, is that a whale?"

I'm a chestic, and I was like, "Wow, well, things aren't so bad. "I'm here, this is a beautiful life I've made for myself, "and I want to go about this all the way." - And you know, but up to that point,

I'd never been to an Olympics in law.

I was kind of like, "Well, it's all, it's done. "I just thought that, you know, it doesn't matter. "The other metals are erased if this doesn't happen." - Interesting, that's how you felt. - Yeah, it's kind of how I operated for a while,

“like I just like, 'cause you have to stay in the hunt”

for the next big win. So it always like, "Oh, cool, the tropey." Okay, and then like, "Good now, and you've got multiple events." And so, and it's literally the first question to ask you. "Are you going to the next Olympics?"

- Right, you literally, right at the end. - Really? - Literally, you're like, "But you're trying to catch your breath." They're like, "So you go to the next one?" And it's heavy, so yeah, so I remember sitting there thinking,

like, "Okay, I know how I feel inside "and there were things that didn't go my way "and yeah, I had my plan, you know, "which, what does that mean at this point?" And I remember thinking the thought of, "Okay,

"that's ever happened to me."

- Losing. - That was-- - You mean, I mean, losing. - Yeah, losing. I was like, "I make this the best thing "that's ever happened to me." And that's when I started with that mindset of like, "Okay,

“"well, if this was the best thing, then what is the outcome?"”

Like, "Oh, well, you know, I wasn't doing "the big media sprees, so I have time to do this now." - Like, actually just spent time at my house. I was just like, "Oh, I have time to reconnect "with family or friends or what, you know, I have time."

I went on, I was at a band for like a while, and you know, the band went on two work, 'cause we had time to do that. - That's cool. - That's cool. - And we had fun things, and so, so yeah.

And then that whole sort of like, "Well, if I'm going to go again, what would be "the perfect situation?" And then I started filling in the pieces of like, the puzzle of like, "Oh, well, who would my coach be?"

And gosh, you know what? Instead of just calling random people to get massages wherever I'm at or physical therapy, like, "What if we just locked "in somebody that traveled with me?"

- You know what you're gonna get every time. - What if that person's great? And they know my body so well, but it's almost embarrassing to say that I hadn't had that for years, it's something that's really taught

as much nowadays it's more spoken about, but like-- - Now you hear LeBron saying, he's spending, you know, nine dollars a year on his body. - You don't really think about it.

“I remember hearing that, like, "Oh, that's cool."”

And the sport of snowboarding like it was pretty lame to have a coach, even really a long time, yeah, you know. It's like, "Wasn't cool or something?" - Yeah, like to have an agent or to have a coach, or to, you know, care or to want to win.

- Yeah, yeah, it's like, you know, he cares. It's lame, you know, so it all kind of happened later. And then once I built a team, it was like, "How did I even?" It's like, "You get in a pet," or something like, "How did I, I don't remember my life before this."

- So, like, "How did I get this far?"

So, yeah, having the team was amazing.

And then, I guess, basically, I was on my journey to that next Olympics, and I had my plan, I love my plans, everything's going to plan. I was crushed, everything's going great, I'm feeling strong, I'm motivated, I got my team,

and I'm in New Zealand, and I'm like, "Hack it. I'm gonna go for this trick that I've been trying, I've been procrastinating, putting it off, like, let's just get it done today's a day." Throw the trick, clip the top of the pipe,

fly to the bottom, the wall's 22 feet tall. So I clip the top that I've bounced, and the sun was, I forget what time was. It was maybe midday, so the sun was here, meaning that this wall's in the shade,

and this wall's sunny and soft, so it was the icy wall. I clip the top, fly to the bottom, and I caught the edge of my board in the snow, and it put my face in the snow, and, you know, next thing you know, I'm like, you know,

helicopter flying to the hospital, I'd like ripped my face open, and 62 stitches, and I like pulmonary lung confusion, it was just like a really bad crash. - Yeah, and I was like, okay, well, this wasn't part

of my plan. - That was a couple months before the Olympics. - This was literally right before you. - I remember seeing us. It's like, okay, like, you know, is this a sign

that I should stop, is this, what is this? And I really had to sit with myself and think about it, and go, okay, well, this is in my way for some reason, like, what's to be learned from this? You know, and it just really kind of straightened

everything out for me, as strange as that sounds. Like, basically, yeah, I'd been telling myself I'd be great to win the Olympics, and oh, this would be nice, and oh, I could do this afterward, you know what I mean?

I had all my plans, and then I had this horrible crash, and I was like, okay, well, how badly do you root? Like, right? - And even saying you wanted, but how badly do you really want it?

Because going back out on the snow means in some small percentage, but there is a percentage that I'm willing to let this happen to myself again. - Again. - And it was horrible, on my face is hanging open,

trying to eat, you know, yogurt, whatever it is. - And I just had three implants in, two weeks ago, and the bone graft in one place, 'cause I had teeth removed once, 18,

that I never got fixed, so I've had these kind of gaps.

- Okay. - For 20 years? - Okay. - My mouth is like, kind of collapsing, and so I don't know your pain, but I know the pain of like, getting those implants

was like, 10 days of feeding yogurt every day's soup, it's miserable. - And it's your face, too, so let me be looking in the mirror, and all I remember is the sweet, our angel of a person, this woman named Esther, who's my physical therapist,

'cause I had to do my interviews. They're like, "Well, we need a live hit for the today." - Oh, right. - So there I was, I was in the air, and I dropped in, and I hit the top, and like, 'cause I couldn't, you know,

scars, they're stiff, and they heal. And it only hurts when you're in the cold, although I'm a snowboarder. - All these moves are freezing at the bottom, and they're like, "Can we get a hit?"

- Oh man. - How the run was, and I can barely talk, and all I remember is being in the airport,

“and you know, scar tissue, you need to break it down.”

- Yeah. - Sitting there, on my phone, in tears,

and she's just like, grinding down the scar tissue,

and people, what is going on? - I'm like, what the, you know, this is before COVID, so you could put your scar tissue in the mouth, and you know, randomly, but, yeah. - You say 60 stitches?

- Yeah, like, 62, I cut my forehead in the classroom. - And through my lip and nose, and I bit through my tongue.

“- Do you have to do any, like, dent holes, surgery?”

- No, thankfully, the only thing that was like, issue was, you know, they kind of let me out of the hospital, and then the whole night, I felt like I was kind of drowning, and I was going on. And I thought maybe, from the procedure,

was the tube they put down, something, and I went back, and they're like, "Let's just take a quick x-ray, and my lungs were just full of blood." - Oh, my gosh.

- Impact, it had bruised them, and so they threw me, straight back to the urgent carrier, and I had to sit there with my little bucket, and like, get clear of the lungs. - Really?

Is that come out a tube that takes another day? - It was just me breathing in, like, a humidifier to kind of, like, loosen the lungs. - Yeah, it was just, like, a whole thing. - Stadia, for, how do we have the attack

on your idea that you're living from someone else? - Stadia, for, you know, you can help someone to take a certain position, a exercise for the studio to stand, in a community, a new game class, to build,

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GoFantMe.com. For your game on Friday, this event was presented by GoFantMe. So to come back from that, I was like, "Okay, well now I got to do the trick that I,

"that put me in my hospital." And my coach's like, "You got it." And I'm like, "I know." But I was pretty sure I had it in the left hand. And so anyways, I had to make this pack with myself.

I was like, "Okay, I'm not gonna do the trick until I'm ready to do it." And the conditions are perfect. 'Cause I try to force it. - Yeah, it's like, yeah.

- And so I waited and then, man, like, acts of God happen. It was like, it was like, you know, show up to the event and like, you know, the pipe's not built

for the first two days 'cause it was a really bad winter.

So it was pretty dry. And like, there's only one day of practice. Like literally like all these weird things, like I show up for this practice session and then the machine that builds the half pipes broke.

- Oh, man. - But I flew to Canada and then the Canada, like a giant storm blew in. And then I was like, "Okay, well we got to go back "to Mammoth Mountain."

Like a flight of Mammoth Mountain. I got there and I got really ill. Like it's got a flu or something. So all these weird things can be-- - And close to the Olympics, yeah. - Literally, it's two weeks away at this point.

- And you're doing the trot. - I haven't done it.

“I didn't, I did the trick like twice, I think.”

I finally just like, got it done, but I hadn't done like repetition and I had it, you know, it's a routine so you would do a trick into that trick and do another trick.

- You haven't done that. - I hadn't done it. And I'm flying to the Olympics like, "Well, I guess we'll just do it when we get shot." - It got up really.

- Yeah. - So you didn't practice the full routine and not tell the Olympics.

And it feels the second run.

- Oh my gosh. - That's the first time I ever tried that run. So of course I fell and now deja vu. I'm sitting where I was at the last Olympics. Last guy to go, there's one more run

and I was just like, I wanna win this. I don't know, I just like, I felt it the other way. I was like, I'm gonna win this thing. - For sure. - There's no way I'm not gonna make this run.

And I just remember thinking like, I could picture it 'cause I was like, you know, enjoy it 'cause this is your gonna win this thing and wow. - I remember the orange of the outfits we're wearing, all the banners and flags and things were orange

and then they had a big flag at the top. And the flag was down, meaning no wind. And like, it was kind of overcast that day and it started to open up a little bit and I was like, this is perfect.

- Perfect moment. - And my song came on. I recognized, it's like some personal ones. And I was like, "Hey, let's go!" And man, nailed it to win it, you know.

“And so that's why at the end of that Olympics,”

like, I don't know if I've ever really broken down that much, but it was such an emotional journey to get to that moment, to like, from the family stuff, to Instagram, whatever all these things that I changed in my life and then to have that bad accident

and really questioned everything only to get there and win. It was just such like a overwhelmingness of, you know, joy and all that stuff. - Yeah, I remember watching, I remember watching it

But hearing the full story now, I could see why.

- Yeah, so it was heavy and trust me, getting to that point where I'm like, "Wow, I'm just gonna do it when I get there." Like, that's nuts. - I've been plotting for over, you know,

four years at this point for this one moment and I'm gonna show up unprepared. Like, how did this happen? How did I get to this point? - Well, I prepared the 25 years of preparation.

- Sure, sure, sure, well, I know how to compete. - Yeah, I know these things, but like, you know, you want to be ironclad, of course. - Of course. - And you're kind of winging it. - Yeah, and at this point I'm like,

"All right, well, let's see what happens." And so that was very unnerving and so. - And did you know that going into it, like, this is a winning combination? Like, if I can land this perfectly,

or close to perfect, it's a winner? - Pretty much.

“I mean, the only thing is that the other competitors,”

names a Yumu's Japanese neighborhood, he had a very similar run. And so, you know, I was like, "Okay, like, not only do I have to do this run, "but just do it bigger and better than Greg did it."

So I was like, "Okay, he's a lot younger than you." - Yeah, he's a lot younger. - Yeah, he's a lot younger. - And this maybe didn't just match his face and let the girl go.

- And you know, and I was in that pressure spot of like, "Okay, like, it's make a break." Like, everyone's watching. We're gonna do it or not. And you know, that stuff clicked in

and I was like, "I'm gonna do it." - And you knew right when you finished, you knew you won't. - Not exactly, I knew that was the best chance I had for sure of winning, you know?

- You did your best. - It was so intense, and like, it's all connected. So I don't really remember specific moments. So I'm watching the screen go and like, "Okay, I feel like I killed it,

"but did I touch a hand somewhere?

“"Did I lean kind of flat and not notice it?"”

Is it, you know, it's so, you're so wound up. - Yeah. - And then, man, so everybody at the top celebrating 'cause the score came in right away. Like I won, boom.

NBC held the score for like a dramatic pause. - You didn't see it until you're on camera. - You didn't see it until you're on camera. - I was just like, "And I'm watching," and they had the other athletes here.

So I don't want to go near them 'cause I just, I don't know, and I didn't want to look in their faces. And, and, you know, and so then then the judges boots right in front of me, and I don't want,

I swear I look up in the booth and some guys tune like a play limbo with my fake, you know, and so like up, and then the crowd and TV cameras here, some just kind of like panning around, and finally the score hit,

and I was just like, I lost it, it was amazing.

And then just see my family, and, you know, Jake Burton, that owner, Burton's new ones, who sadly passed away, you know, amazing moment with him, he was like, "Oh, the after you didn't watch it." - Every time, he was like, 'cause, you know,

he's congratulated me after every, you know, big win, and even there, when the upset happened, you know, so amazing to see like familiar faces and all that. But, but I was so proud of that, like all those little steps

“I took, actually paid off, they gone into that place, right?”

I was sitting in the same position, and I'm like, I'm gonna win, rather than like, I'm not there. So that was, I think what I was the most proud of after that on the pigs. - Have you ever had another moment before Ron where you're like,

I don't think this was gonna go well, but it did go well. - Like you said to yourself, like, "Oh, man, this is a tough one." I don't know, we'll see, it's 50, 50. - And then you just nail it still.

- There was one, it was actually the qualifier to get to that Olympics. - Oh, why? - We were in Aspen, the mountain snow mass, and kind of similar situation where I show up,

I'm so excited, you get three runs for final,

the first run, I was way too excited.

- Yeah, I went over it. - And I like shot out, and I was like, "Oh, my God, in my coach said, "What happened?" "I was like, "I don't know, I'm sorry, I had to stop too pumped." And like, and as the, you know, it's the mountain.

So as a day goes on, these clouds start rolling in, it's getting cold there, so the temp drops, so the snow hardens, it's going faster, and it's like, it's getting scarier, and, you know, the second run perfect, nailed it.

The whole way down, and on the last hit, I like washed out. And I'm like, "Oh my God, you know?" And at this point, we're panicking, as we're a couple, 'cause we still need to make the team. Like, the commercials are airing that I'm going into.

- Oh, I didn't like make it. - Made the team, we had to qualify every time. - Brush your, man. - So I'm sitting there going like, "Okay, like one more run." - And so I'm talking to, "Yeah, I got one more run.

"I'm the last guy to go out of my mom." And I talked to my coach, and he's like, you know, I'm like, "What do I do?" I'm like in the start game, I'm like, "What are we doing for that last hit?"

The one that I fell on, I'm like, "Are we going for this?" It's the 1260s call, then I was like, "Are we going for the 12 or should I dial it back to a nine?" Or like, "What are we doing?"

And he was just kind of like, you know, I'm talking to him about it, and out of nowhere, he's like, "Do the 14." - Which is, you know, it's all just degrees of rotation.

- Yeah, and I was like-- - Is that it? Do we do 12 or 90s? - Yeah, they do the 14, and I was like, "What do you mean?" He's like, "On the first hit, we were talking about the last hit."

- And then he said, "Drop, go on." - He said, "Do the 14, you practiced it so much." You're ready, just do the 14, and I was like,

“"And I remember looking at him being like,”

"Sure, okay." - Yeah. - Right, like, a second time before we go. - Like, the guy's literally telling me to go at this point. He's like, "Go." And I was like, "So what are we doing?"

He was like, "I don't know." I was like, "Well, I kind of got to go." I mean, this argument, and the guy's like, "Come on, like, right already, like, go." And so, I remember like, given him the, like, fine,

basically like saying, like, "If it doesn't work, it's your fault." - It's your fault. - Nailed it. I fully nailed it, and it gave me the second way, and then I started hammering the run.

That's part is, I'm on the last hit,

and I was like, "We never decided."

- What the hell is that? - I didn't do the last hit. - You know what I mean? - You didn't do that. - It's the only talk about the first hit. - And so, I was like, three seconds of the song. - Yeah, it's not like, well, I'm already on the heater.

I might as well go for the 12th of the harder trick. Like, let's just do it, and boom.

“I went from like, I think I was in like,”

a lot, like, second to last place on the roster, to like, we need, I won with that run, but I got a perfect hundred score. Like, I nailed it. Like, I nailed the run,

and that's only been handed out once before, which was actually for me at the X-games event. So this is, you know, but it meant a lot to me because that X-games judging in the actual Olympic judges a little bit different, so it was like,

"Oh, I felt it." - It felt even more official. - Yeah, of course.

I would say that, it was just as amazing either way.

- Right. - But, like, went from dead last to like, you know, winning the competition. Perfect hundred score, making the Olympic team all in like, couple seconds there. - And that's the score, you didn't know what you were gonna do.

- I didn't know the run, yeah, I didn't know what we were gonna... - But did you go into it when you dropped, were you like, I'm screwed and your mind to be like, "I got this, I'll make a figure now." - I think, I think a part of me was like,

“you know, who cares, 'cause, you know, it's on him.”

You know what I, I'm a firm believer in, you're playing ping pong, and like, all of a sudden, you're up, pen, points or something, and then you go, "Oh, I'm up, 10 points. I should really focus now."

- And then you just start to talk about it. - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that bit of not caring probably allowed me to go crush that run because I was in a state of like, "Well, I'll heck with it."

Like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna just go for it. - Yeah, and then, as I started kneeling the tricks, that's when things like the tunnel vision happened, and I was like, "Oh, I'm actually killing it." Like, stay focused. - Yeah.

- And I got like a second wind in the middle of my run, and that's when I threw, 'cause at this point, like, it's dragged on, like I said, the clouds had moved in, I'm tired, I'm exhausted. - And good day.

- So when he's like telling me to do the 14, I'm already like, "I'm ready for bed." I call it like, "Let's just wrap it." We'll go over to the next event and try to win that thing.

But anyways, said that was like an amazing situation

where like, I was pretty convinced I wasn't gonna do well and somehow pulled it out. - And I'll do. - There's been a couple of those. There was one, there's one where I actually set the record

for the highest era of the Half-Pipe. And the best part of the story is that the morning of, I had, I think I was fighting a cold, and so like, you know, if you work out or you do some extraneous, like,

your body's fighting the cold, not repairing the muscle, so I woke up and I could barely walk. I was so tired. And I call my coach, different coach at this point. He comes over and shows up with giant bags of ice

and like we fill the bouthubs, hot water and cold water and I just start going back and forth and I'm like, "Okay, I got maybe like three runs or runs of me max." So let's do like a pretty simple warm-up run and then just try to do it in the contest

and get it done. And then you'll be happy to be able to do it in your own way. And then you'll be happy to be able to do it in your own way. You'll be happy to be able to do it in your own way. In a community, a new game platform, or a child's name

to be able to finance the game. With GoFantMe, it's all possible. GoFantMe is not only for notefellers, but for the football team, your children, or for a small company, an organization,

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Who could have been able to do it in your own way? What's not on the other side of the team? Start your games on your own today. In just a few minutes on GoFantMe.com, goFantMe.com. For your games on your own.

This is your Michael Jordan moment.

I drop in. I can't stop. My leg is so tired and so warm that if I can't use it to break. There's not like it would have folded on me. And so I went so big because I couldn't pause.

I like shot out the top of my body. Huge air. I forget the height.

“At that point, I think like 23 feet was probably the biggest air.”

There's a 24 or 22 foot pipe. So I'm out about 20, 20, something feet above the top of the air. How about you looking down the ground, 45 feet down? Yeah, yeah, well, because I'm winning higher than the 20 feet. But you're up there.

You didn't look at other, that's scary. Yeah, so the ideas to be in this side of the pipe catch the wall. And so I'm flying.

And I'm thinking like, wow, I'm never really gone this big.

If I could just finish this run, but I'm going to win. And I have some outpolded together and nailed it. That's terrifying, man. Yeah, I may have like even like bowed out on my last run. It's like I didn't do it.

Yeah, I was too tired. I'm curious about, I mean, you rarely lost a competition. It's like, it's a rare day for you if you lose or get second or whatever. Have you learned how to put yourself worse, not unwitting or losing? But just to put it on who you are as a human being, or have you struggled in the past

with man, I sucked the day and I'm no good as a person as well. Like how do you wrap yourself worth around your competition and separate it from just who you are as a human? No, it's a great question, because like I would say I'm so much cooler with losing now than I ever was before, I mean, it would just tear me apart.

And it's so weird, because I'd probably had won 10 competitions straight going into this one and

got second by a point and a half or something.

“And I was just devastated, like how did this happen and what?”

And you know, that kind of self-worth being derived from those situations is difficult. You know, it drives you to be better, but it's unsustainable. You know, if you're happiness is just hanging in the balance of winning. Yeah. And it's a judged event, it's like, you know, it's opinions of who did better.

And so yeah, I mean, how do you manage that now then? I wish I could say I had a good grasp on it when I was younger. I mean, something about, I guess nowadays, it's too fold. I mean, not to pat myself on the back, but of one, a lot of events. So I don't feel as much I have to brew as much of, you know, of my, you know,

hey, like, I'm the best. I've been, you know, like, I don't feel like I have to prove as much. So I'm content with, like, even I've been at events from just like, I'm not competing today. Because it's unsafe for it's this, I'm not feeling it. Like, you know, if you actually look at my track record, like, I've pulled out of a lot of events.

Really? It's just unsafe at times. Mm-hmm. But look at it as you hear it on. It's not a sprint.

It doesn't matter. Today's, that's cool. But yeah, I don't go buy, I don't be that next year and maybe the conditions will be better. It's more favorable and I'll be healthy and ready to do it. So I, I like to think of my career as that, that long game.

And so nowadays, it helps knowing that, like, okay, well, I'm going to lose this event. I know it's not going to go well, but I know that this is the goal. Mm-hmm. So it's not the one of that. Yeah, like, it's not, it's not this event.

It's that one. So like, qualify for that last Olympics.

It's like, I showed up at the first event, knowing I was going to lose.

Mm-hmm. And I was like, oh, this would be great. I'm going to show face, see what everyone's doing, and I'll get a clear picture of, like, okay, here's where the level's at, and here's where I need to be. Or where am I at?

And I didn't show my cards. So I was like, okay, we'll see what happens and, you know, play it. And so, so there's strategy too involved. And, you know, and it changes over the time. I mean, I mean, I used to just have to win everything and like, and if you, kind of,

challenge what I was doing, then I would run off and do whatever else.

“But now you're okay with losing an event that's not as important as the main event.”

Like, but did I hit my markers? Did I get my points toward making the team? Did I, you know, did I save my body? Did I get it? I mean, and so even, even like, we kind of mentioned in the waiting room, it's like,

after the Olympics, I take a season off. So if you extrapolate that over the years, I've, you know, five Olympics now. You know, so that means four years I've taken off. That's four years that I've been able to kind of like, let the body rest and my head rest and all these things and so it's definitely stretched my career out.

Yes. You know, and I hate to, it meant I'm the oldest competitor, but yeah, this place, it's really funny because I remember dropping in and being the youngest competitor and the funny, they're like,

He's still feeling like the young guy or no? I still feel like, you know, I mean, I don't feel like the young guy, but I feel like like it could be my game, you know, it's my, it's my competition to win a lose, but I still feel that way.

“You know, where, I don't know, I think if I was like, clinging on to like 10th to 11th, you”

know, my family would be like, "Oh, it's got to hear it." It's time. Or, you know, it would just, it would naturally, something would, there'd be a tell. Yeah. Yeah.

But yeah. So nowadays, I just kind of manage it that way, and then honestly, they did like a bunch of just kind of like, I don't know what you call it. I guess work on myself. Really?

Kind of, you know, I went to a lot of, what did that look like? Was that therapy? Was that workshop was it? It was all the above. I was talking to therapists, and then I was, you know, reading some really, you know,

eye-opening books, and then, which books impact it do. One was called a new earth. It was a peck art totally. Yeah, he's great. Yeah.

It's, it's worded pretty, you know, it's very, you know, you'd say it's spiritual. Exactly. It's intense. But if you really take the time to read, and, and, or have to, like, read pages only a week.

What are they saying?

So that was, you know, an amazing book that really opened my eyes up to a lot of different

things, and the way my brain works, and the thought process, and how I've been kind of like assessing the situation, and, you know, the events that happen, they happen. It's how I interpret them is what's like driving me and fueling me, and if it's something I interpret to be a bad thing, then I'm going to, you know, act, and these emotions will stir from that.

And so it really made me understand that, and then another book I read was called "Loveing What Is." Well, Byron Katie. She's great. We had her on the show.

She's awesome. Um, I swear I saw her somewhere. I've got her. And girls. She's amazing.

She's amazing. So, uh, they came out here and she pretty much did like live therapy with me.

I was like, it's incredible.

Yeah. So you read those two books. That's really amazing. Yeah, those are really heavy. There's a couple of others, but those were the main ones.

“And then I, honestly, I, I, I got a phone call from Tony Robbins to come down to his”

house and do like a speaking engagement. He does the, uh, hate the platinum partner things. It was like, you know, just, and I do those sometimes. It was cool. And he called me up and I, I go down there and...

Can Florida, right? Yeah. It was at his home. And the panel was myself, Michael Phelps and... Tom Brady.

Tom Brady. Yeah. Yeah. They think that was the next year's, yeah. I was like, oh, this is cool.

I went first and then, uh, and then I'm listening to Michael Speak. And I was like, wow, it really blew me away to hear, like, a fellow athlete talk about the struggles of like how you feel after an event and like, even if you win, it doesn't mean that like all these other things are great in your life. You know, it doesn't mean that the dogs are going to, like, listen to you.

We're all right. I mean that like, you know, these people are going to care for you more, your business isn't in a better situation.

You play, he's like, all these things that like, yeah, winning is amazing, but it doesn't

fix everything. And, um, and a lot of that stuff gets pushed to the side in order to win. And so it was really eye-opening to hear him speak and then afterward Tony was like, look, you know, we do this little, you know, he calls it a prayer. It's nothing religious at all, but it was kind of this like meditation, quick meditation.

He's like, Michael's going to be where I'm going to do it. I was like, okay. And it's basically the concept of like stacking, you know, you go through the day and you kind of like, oh, uh, whatever, the sofa, I ordered his back ordered now, and I thought it was going to be here this week who's not going to be next month.

So let's stack that and then like, oh, I got the phone call from so and so that the event got canceled because of COVID, you know, great. And then you start stacking these things. And so it's just a simple process, uh, his prayers is, is a, which I understand later, but it was the idea of like, you know, hey, let's go and just take a minute to stack all these

really great things that happen because you don't really take the time to do that. Not to focus on all the negative things. Totally. Like, just take a moment to be like, oh man, like, hey, winded something like really just work out, like you said that run in aspirin, like, it just worked out.

You know, I was thinking, uh, it's probably not going to be my day and boom, it hit. It just worked out. And like, hey, let's like, what an amazing win, where something just kind of went my way. And like, let's take something that really worked hard for and that actually happened. And like, oh, what if by chance, you know, like a person you met that became a lifelong friend,

“or you know, just these things, you, I remember leaving feeling like, like, I was so pumped”

up and it just really, you know, at the time needed something like that. Um, anyway, so I, I leave and, you know, that feeling kind of fades a little, obviously. And a couple of months go by and randomly he called me. Donnie.

I have driving. And I, you know, when you click your phone, it comes through the car speakers. Yeah. Wow. Huge voice ahead.

It was like, we're doing the trend. Come out. It's an invitation, not an expectation, whatever you want, you know, send a family member, whatever. And so I was like, you know what, I'm, I'm, let's do it.

“And so I, I remember just like, I was like, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go solo.”

My first instinct was to send family members that I cared about, I was like, oh, maybe I'll send my dad or my mom or my sister, somebody close to me that would benefit from this. And then, and I remember hearing him on the phone, they're like, it's kind of like the planes crashing.

Do you take the mask and put it on someone, no, you got to save yourselves and save the others or whatever and, and, and, you know, and then I was like, I'm just gonna go and I'm gonna go alone. And what's solo? Wow.

Just kind of like this. You pw or David Jackson. He w, 10 p.m. See, we're walking on fire and stuff. Yeah.

I don't think. Yeah. It's crazy, isn't it? Yes. So you win.

I've been there. So it's amazing. It was just awesome. And it really got me thinking differently. And I, and I remember thinking, like, wow, well, if I felt pretty great.

After it was just like my thought process of why I should work out, I was like, well, I feel better after. Well, why not? We'll go to something like this. And so did the event, it was crazy.

I opening really amazing.

And then after that, I went to financial seminar. He had a mechanic as like a thank you. And I was like, hey, why don't I come like snowboard with your guests and that's cool. And I'll take the course. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. So did that. And then, you know, had some other interactions with him and then ended up doing the day with destiny and Florida.

So after multiple hits of this, you know, you really, it starts to sink in. And that was really awesome. Because it's something about like, it's nice if someone, you know, they can tell you, hey, feel better about this or do that, you know, but it's such a different thing you come up with the idea yourself.

And it's, you know, you're like, that, aha, moment of like, oh, wow, I've been doing this. And now I realize this is a better way. And not only that, but like, here are the tools to help me. So like, with these books, like, the first book, the new earth, like, got me thinking differently. But the loving what is, kind of took that same kind of thought process and made it, like,

a pliable to my life. So I could go through my life and I, like, any time something arises now at triggers. And I go, oh, let me, they do this thing where they, Katie does a, I'm sure you, you spoke with their, you kind of break it down and have a question if these, like, four questions.

“Yeah, they're just like, okay, like, how do I really feel about this?”

You start going through the questions and at the end, it just takes all the, the life out of it. You know, it takes all the, that meaning and that sort of, you know, emotion that's drawn in the meaning that you're giving this thing, you're giving it all this life and it's nice. It's not. Do you remember four questions?

I can't remember them fully. They're like, is it true? Yeah. And then the second one. The second one is really true.

Is that really true? The first one is a true one. Yeah, the second one is, is it, is it really true? And then pretty much every time that the answer's no. And then it's like, how do you feel or how do you react when you hear that or believe

that lie? Yeah. Yeah. And then the fourth part is that you turn it around, which is a little confusing to me, but it's still, it's like, you kind of start saying it differently.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, just by saying it differently, though, is like, oh, this person did this.

“Well, I did this, you know, or my thinking of this was wrong, or doesn't it?”

And just you kind of saying it goes, oh, yeah, okay.

But it's a really powerful thing, because it really stops you in your tracks.

And now when something arises where it's not that I walk on sunshine every day, but when problems do arise and like, you know, I'm like getting flacked from the guy at Airbnb. Or whatever, like, about to write this crazy tank, like, oh, is this true? Is he really upset? You know, and you kind of like, when something really upsets you, it's, it's, it's, the, those

are the signs. Yeah. Something's odd. What do you think? What do you think, what's your biggest, bigger in your life?

Or what has been your biggest trigger in the past that you've had to learn how to, process better? Well, that's, that's the whole part of it is that the triggers are something basically that you're, you're seen it through a lens of your past. Right.

So it's not that you came in and said, you didn't like my shirt. At some point someone else said, I didn't have good style. And now I'm tearing you say, you know, like, sure, now I'm freaking out, you know, because I'm adding all this other stuff that you don't know about, but you were just not into the color, whatever, or we're giving me it, you know, hard time.

You know, what was amazing is that everything really boils down to these like, I'm butchering

this. But they boil down to these simple things of like, I'm not enough, or, or, you know, yeah, I'm not enough, or this isn't good enough, or, you know, I won't be loved, you

And as simple as it is, it's like, okay, well, you know, like losing a contest, you

know? Well, why? What's the meaning behind it? Like, oh, I wanted a win to show that I'm great, well, why did you want to show that you're great?

Well, I was told, kind of, I wasn't going to amount too much in the sport that was not in the Olympics that X games had just started. Like, there's no future in the sports, so for years and years, the teachers and brands of people are like, you're going to amount to nothing, you're a joke, like, your sports a joke, and we'll see in the future when you're asking for change, you know, and so that's

kind of embedded in me. So there was this fight to prove that I was, you know, important, or special, or whatever. So it's all boils down to, like, that, like, oh, I'm not good enough, or I'm fear that I'm not enough. And so once you kind of realize you're, you're pulling from this place, you know, you

“go, well, okay, take all this aside, like, man, like, what are the basics?”

Like, am I there for my friends when they need me? Like, for sure. And am I, you know, like, what are my strengths outside of all this other stuff? And you kind of really get to know yourself a lot more. And that was really amazing for me.

And so I opening, because I was just like, ever since I can remember, I've been competing and doing this and that and went up to win, and, you know, how do we go bigger and more?

And, you know, I never really took the time to just go, oh, wow, like, hey, I tend to, like,

do well at a dinner, like, I can, like, make me laugh. I'm good. You're right. You send me in. I'm good.

You know, like, that's a great quality to have, to be able to, like, be social and to, you know, to, you know, strike a chord with people and easily start conversation, make people laugh. And like, that's a, that's a great quality to have. And, and the simplest fact of, like, oh, like, okay, if I knew someone like that, I would like just to have them around just for that basic fact that they're enjoyable to be with.

Yeah. You know, it means just the simplest things. And then once you have that kind of foundation of understanding of, like, gosh, well, getting that sort of, I am enough and I will be loved and all the things from all this,

“then everything else is just like, oh, and if I went there, it's great, right?”

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

So, but that's just a weird. I was worried that it wouldn't, like, keep me motivated, but I'm just, no, driven. And this was on the last couple of years. You started doing this work, right? This was, yeah, this was, like, 2018 pretty pretty.

Yeah, yeah. So in the last three years, as you started to do kind of more of the, the emotional, inner mental work, yeah, what would you say to your, you know, 13 year old self getting into the journey of this, yeah, this career, the last 20 years, whatever, 20 plus years, what would you say to him knowing what you know now about what the real champions mindset

is? Yeah, no, it's tough. I mean, I've thought about that, but there were so many situations where I maybe I needed that draw, you know, I mean, I, I'm a firm believer in, like, you kind of, I don't know, I've just been like leveling up consistently to make a career.

So maybe I, you know, didn't need that lesson at that time. I definitely would have told myself to really, like, stop and enjoy the, like, the little things. Just because, you know, you don't realize that things just keep going on, you know, I remember signing this deal and I was really young and it's like this 10 year contract. I was like, I'll be playing golf by the hell, I mean, I was like, I'll be 30.

Can you imagine? Right. And 30 came around. I was like, wow, I still feel so driven and youthful and I had all this stuff in front of me.

And so, yeah, I don't know, I don't know what I would say exactly, but I definitely enjoyed the little things, just go back and take the moment to, like, man, we had this big win. Let's go celebrate that with this. Yeah.

Let's just take an extra minute to do that. I already moved on to that. Yeah. I'm not sure, because, you know, it was just like, I had my, and I don't think it would have gotten in the way.

It would have just been like really enjoying or like a big deal I signed or something like yeah, celebrating. Yeah, those things. But now that you've done, I guess, the deeper inner work that you're talking about. Do you have a, you know, a routine or a mindset or a mantra that you have going into events

now that, like, you think about beforehand or before you're going up to the drop and inner, or is it just, you've done the same you've been doing? No, it's pretty much the same.

“That's what's so great about it is it's like, it's just given new meaning to the same way”

that I feel already. It's like, just that, that it's, it's all a bonus. It's all like, you know what I mean? It's all icing on top of the cake, and we look at this long career I've had to this point.

It's all, you know, and like, why not? Like, I still feel great, I still been motivated, I still have these things, and like, let's embrace that, but not put the extra emphasis on, like, well, fit all, doesn't work out, then

You've done it. I've done more things. I've done more things.

Yeah, or just that, like, nothing's great, and then you're at your beach health.

“Yeah, like, like, crying, watching the screen, and being able to see the whale, then, you know?”

But, but that's, you know, I don't know, I fear I'm coming off pretty, or something like that. It's something that worked for me and really helped me, but, you know, teach his own, and, you know, there is a time to push, and to push through the frustrating parts, and then there's a time to kind of go, oh, wow, like, is this, is this just a time for a course adjustment, rather than, you know, so I think, yeah, as I've gotten older, maybe it's just with age,

like, I don't know if I would have listened at that point. Right. You were so focused. I was like, I'm like, you're a bikini, you're like, let's go. What feedback would you give to someone out there?

Whether they're an athlete or they're just going after life in a big way, they have big goals, big dreams, but maybe it's business or career or something. What feedback would you give them on the path of one-in-one-one-complish massive big goals being at the top of their field without hurting themselves along the way?

“Well, again, I think, you know, definitely don't, this thought of like, the delayed happiness”

is getting trouble. If this happens, then I'll be happy. If I can only get the rays, then I'll be happy. If I could just win one more Olympics, then I'd be happy. You didn't like one part of it.

You know, if I could just, do you kind of kind of, which is hard, because, you know, you picture this place in your mind and you want to get there, and I'm very, like, a visualized everything. I can picture it. I can see the, you know, the red carpet rolling, you know, I can picture, no, I'm kidding.

You know, it would be like, you know, your mind is throwing flowers at me at the, you know, like, you know, you can picture what it would be like, and like, oh, if I just had this amount of money, I could, I wouldn't worry about money, or I wouldn't, you know, like, there's all these things, and there's a way to enjoy it along the path that doesn't have to be all or nothing.

And that's something that took me a while to learn. And I think I would have had a much more enjoyable process getting to where I am in my life and career, and still had that motivation if I would have been able to, you know, like Tony says that his event, he says it was that, you know, success without fulfillment is the greatest failure.

It's true, and it's so funny, because you meet people, and you'll have very famous people at that event, they stand up and like, one of my Oscar, and I was like, well, I'd better went another one, and then I made this much money, and I was like, well, I'd better double it, and then, and I just kind of sat there with my double money and my thing and, well, what's next?

“You know, and it's, you have to find the enjoyment, otherwise it, you get to that place”

where you get the, you know, you finally get that goal, and it's not, in many ways, it is

what you'd hold, but it's not exactly what you pictured, and so, and that's hard, you know, to get to that point, and it's frustrating, because you've been, you put so much emphasis on this moment, meaning this way, and if it doesn't work out exactly in picture exactly how it's going to go, you know, you're left kind of hanging, so it's getting rid of that, and then I'm just a huge believer in kind of like the little steps, as well, it's like,

what little thing can I do that my competitors are probably not dealing, that might help me, like what? I don't know, just, I remember, I remember winning the event, and I just, it just dawned on me that all my competitors would probably, this is when I kind of went to the gym, but it dawned on me that all my competitors were probably going to go celebrate.

Like, drink alcohol, drink alcohol. There needs to go go party on that, for sure. And I was like, what if I just hit the gym, just, why not? Just something that would, you know, just like, why don't I just, like, push when they're going to not push, and, you know, just little things that I might be able to do, get to

that place, and so, I always, and goal setting was huge.

"Stay there before, today we will be the day of your idea that you are living from someone you have been, you can't help you, you can help you, you know, a further building to the gym, a room for students to stand in a community, a new game class, or a child, the name for the training that you want to be able to finance. With GoFantMe, it's all possible. GoFantMe is not only for notefellers, do you want to go for the football team of your children, or

spend for a small company, or a special event, goFantMe helps you to make the idea of the real details. "Stay there before, the two of you will be able to bring in the right way to get to my goal, so think about it, who can take your support?" "What is not on the other side of your team, take your children to your home, in just a few minutes, goFantMe.com, goFantMe.com, for your

own spend in GoFantMe." "This is a verbable chapter, what did you present here to goFantMe?" "And I hesitate to talk about it, just because it's, I feel like it's talked about so much, but I don't really believe that people do it in the right way, you know, like, yeah, it's great to have a huge goal because that like really what you want, because it's like, there's so many times like I said, I really wanted to win the Olympics in Korea, and then I'm sitting in a hospital, my face

We're going to move the needle, like any little thing I could do to like move the needle in the right direction, and so like having that big goal and then having like a bunch of fun little goals on the way.

And something that would be obtained by getting to the big goal. So, um, so.

“It sounds like, you know, the universe is going to ask you, do you really want this with the obstacles of pushing your way?”

Sure. Yeah. And people will question it, and you'll question it, and, you know, and then, and then the people within your inner circle, because you don't kind of listen to everybody else. People will question it, and you got to really, you know, know what you want. We've got to listen to yourself, which is really hard, but once you find it and know it, wholeheartedly, then, okay, boom, that was a huge hurdle, and then it's like, well, how can we get there? And I've always, I heard something a long time ago where, you know, instead of saying, oh, we can't do that, it really shuts the doors, like, how could we, how could we do it? And that's, that was me sitting up to the Olympics in Russia, when I'd lost and I was like, okay, well.

If I was going to win again, how would I do it? And then I started like, well, I'd have to have a coach that, you know, did this for me and I'd have to have the PT, you know, and I started to build this scenario and I was like, wow, that actually. You know, and then I had like, fun little goals along the way. So like, at the one Olympics, my goal was to, I wanted to be on the cover of Rowan Stone, which, which had happened after the one Olympics, the first one I went to as 19, and my goal was like, well, if I went again.

Oh, we, and I'll be ready this night, you know, and because I remember taking the photo, I just flown in from wherever I was like, they're like, take the shirt off, but like, I never take. I'm so wide.

And I remember the photos coming out. I was like, I don't know how to feel about this and anyway, so I was like, if it happens again, I'm going to be shredded.

Yeah, this will happen and I'll do this and this and, and I remember watching like I got really into Guns and roses and Axel did a show where he's in these tiny American flag shorts.

“I was like, why don't I get it run that? But what have I had pants?”

So I had these pants made it. It became all about like trying to get on the Rolling Stone cover and to wear these pants rather than like winning the Olympics. I changed the goal to something fun and funny rather than this daunting task of winning the Olympics, but obviously winning the Olympics would mean I got to wear the pants and whatever, so it literally all happened. But one of the Olympics really stone call, I had the pants. We shot the photo and then, and this actually all started because I was at the hard rock casino probably on my birthday or something.

We did my 21st there and I remember seeing all the jackets I love music and guitar and I was like, I don't know, I get something of mine into the hard rock because it's all rock and roll.

But it was on the cover. So like those pants and the bore all the stuff from the cover got displayed at the heart of the whole circle. So even now, I'm like planning my little, obviously to win to win the next Olympics would be wonderful on many levels. 2020.

“But the 2022 and my fun goal, this is a good one.”

I'll be excited for this. My fun goal is that I'm hoping that after five Olympics that I'm, I'm so, I'm so well known as a snowboarder that it's so famous and well, they're forced to change the emoji con snowboarder to look like me. That was my, that was sweet. Very great. I was like, I could maybe make the, I know they have like a David Bowley one. I was like, all they'd have to do is put some like long red hair on that guy. I'd be cool and blowing out the bag of the helmet. Yeah, it's like, because I keep picturing like, hey, it's me and then throwing them emoji.

It's cool. Hey new number. It's me. Yeah, snowboarder like this. Yeah, that's my, that's my big goal. I liked that emoji. Yeah.

Sean, why don't you like it? That's the future, man. Yeah, yeah. Not the legacy of being a lot. The legacy of being an emoji.

Being on everyone in the world. Yeah. There you go. It's great, man. No, you know, but that's what's fun is it's, you know, every time it's different changes.

I mean, I can't go training Canada. We can't go to, you know, Australia and New Zealand right now. Like, it's very strange limited practice time. Everybody's trying to make it work and, you know, like, we're all on the same boat together. It's not like it's unfair or anything, but we're all, you know, it's just a new challenge. It presents itself in a new way and there's new goals and new hopes and, um, yeah. It's been, it's been, it's been good.

It's been amazing journey, man. A couple final questions for you. And then I'm going to respect your time here, but this is a very inspiring. Before I have some final questions, I want people to check you out. I love your stuff on Instagram, man. I want Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, your website, shawaii.com.

“The recent post you skateboarding. I think it was Switzerland or something.”

I was like, this is a dream world, man. So you've got really cool stuff over there. You also have a new line coming out. You can talk a little bit about that. Yeah, I won't give away the name and all of it.

Yeah, I've always dreamt of having my own, you know, snowboard brand.

And so, you know, just, just like I set my goals and things. I remember after the last Olympics being like, gosh, if I come back here, I'm going to be on my own equipment. Oh, cool. That'd be, you know, to try to make that possible. It's been sponsored by this channel.

Yeah, and it's been amazing and I wouldn't change that for the world, but, you know, it's time goes on. I'm like, I've had a hand in product development, obviously, and design and had my own lines. It places, I was like, gosh, it's time. Let's do it. And so, but it's really exciting because I used to work with my brother.

And we made all sorts of products and things and we stopped working together for some time. And now we're working together again. And it feels amazing. And he's fired up and I'm super excited and just testing the products. It just feels like old time.

Yeah, it's cool. Yeah, so that'll be dropping the soft goods of it all will be, unfortunately, next season because of the timelines. But, um, the hard goods will be dropping this next next winter. Before you went there. Yeah, right before.

Wow. So we can, we can follow you on your socials. Sean White.com. Yeah, but news letter there too, or somewhere to opt in. If we don't, I'm going to go get it there.

Yeah, yeah. We're going to the meantime. They just follow you on any of these accounts. Yeah. They'll be up to date on all that stuff.

Uh, so make sure to follow Sean and support him. I'll begin some stuff. I'm a snowboard in like three years. I got to get some gear and then I'll start getting back on it. Yeah, for sure.

You ain't a big board though. I'm a big board. Yeah, I'm a big dude.

“I remember I kind of like kind of an accident like maybe seven years ago.”

I was six years, seven years ago.

I went to Whistler for the first time.

Yeah. And it's just a bigger mountain. It's a big mountain. I went down just like a normal whatever. But it was just like so much wind and so stuff.

I have to stop three times just to get the bottom because my legs are so long. It's so long. It's a big place. And I hit like my edge and want to like look back and hit the back of my head. I didn't have it helmet on.

I remember thinking like, I need to have a helmet the rest of my time. Yeah. Because I was on the ground like for five ten minutes like that was. Oh, man. Yeah, that was rough.

Yeah. And it comes quick when it snags. Yeah. I thought it was fun. I never thought it.

Yeah. I, I, it doesn't have to happen to me nearly as often. But on occasion, like it's when you're not painted. That's what happened. Do the crazy trick and then fall like in the lifting.

That's what happened to me. Yeah. This is a question I asked everyone at the end. It's called the three truths. So I like it to imagine a hypothetical scenario.

It's your last anniversary many, many years away. You get to live as long as you want as you want to live. And you accomplish all your dreams. Five more Olympics, you know, your own life and relationships. Life, all these things happen.

Emotions. Emotions. Emotions. Emotions. Emotions.

Yeah. That's what they cover. But for whatever reason in this hypothetical scenario, you've got to take all of your content with you. So all the interviews you've done, the spoken word, videos, written word. It's all going to go with you somewhere else.

Mm-hmm. Again, this is many years away. And all you get to leave behind is three lessons to the world that you've learned from your life. And this is all we would have to remember you buy these three truths. I call it.

Okay.

“What would you say would be the three truths you would leave behind?”

I don't know. I think my gut goes to, I mean, immediately goes to the like, enjoy the little things. Yeah. Enjoy the moments because they're fleeting and you think they're going to last forever. But they don't.

Mm-hmm. You know, so many countless hours wasted going over what could have happened in the past that I can't change.

What I should do in the future and just completely missing the amazing situation I've learned.

So enjoying the moment. I think I think being true to who you are. Mm-hmm. Honestly, because there's so much time spent, at least in my life, was thus far, has been, you know, there's so many, there's the person I am and then there's the person that I think I should be sometimes.

Yes. Not try to put on the show or who are you pleasing. You know, who you trying to impress and if you need to impress somebody, then it's somebody not worth you. Mm-hmm. Having your time with.

Yes. You know what I mean?

“I remember reading a, I think it was, what would Keith Richards do?”

And it literally, like, one of the first or second things was like, he was like, no, yourself. He's like, I could party all night. I could do this and I could do that. And I got up and I was fine. And I did it because I could do it.

I know a lot of guys that tried to do it because they thought that's what they're supposed to do. But they couldn't, you know what I mean? And he's like, I'm not advocating for this for anyone, but for me, it worked. This was my life. You know, it's like watching the last dance with Rodman.

They're like, he's just that guy. We got to send him up. He gets look crazy. He comes back, but he's our, he's our crazy. You know, so no, no who you are and be true to that and don't be swayed.

I mean, those are the things that kind of hold for me. I'm a third. You know, they're thick and thin through it all. Like, you know, when I've had crazy wins or I've had, you know, a breakup person. You know what I mean?

Like, my, my family's always been there.

And like, I can only hope that I'm that for, you know, my family or mine. You know, in the future, it's such a, I mean, I didn't drive myself to the mountains. My parents got up every morning and drove me like, God, that's so awesome. You know, I mean, and what an amazing thing to have in common with your family when you, when you're growing up, you know, because so many families grow apart.

That was something we had together. But like, just the selflessness they had for me and my siblings, you know, growing up. It didn't matter if it was means nobody and my sister wanted to play soccer. We're out selling candy bars, trying to get them to team and like get the new uniform. Like, it didn't matter whether it was what I wanted.

You know, we kind of gave 100% for each member of the family. And it's nobody just happened to be the thing to take off. But, you know, nothing can really replace that.

“And I think, at times, I remember thinking, like, I loved, obviously, the family unit I had.”

And it got strained a bit as obviously, like the growing pains of like becoming more successful and having to travel and have. You know, the obligations and the media and the things and it's like, and you go, oh, well, this is my life and this is my world and you kind of get sucked up into it. And I remember at some point thinking that the family wasn't as important. Really, it is because when all that goes or whatever happened, you know, like there, there, there, there.

And what we talked about earlier in the basic simplest of ways that like, they like you. Right, right. From you are. Yeah, they, they, they, you know, like, oh, cool. You won the, that's great.

But we're going to go see Spider-Man and we got you to put whatever they, they care on that, that deeper level.

And, you know, these, I can only speak for, for my family's been that amazing.

That's cool. Support group for me. So yeah. That's great. My love these truths.

I hope I, I won that. That was again. That was again. That was again. I've got my final question before I ask you.

I just want to acknowledge you Sean for the way you've shown up for the last couple of decades of inspiring so many of us. You know, you can constantly show up and dedicated to your mastery of your craft and you go big. You know, you go big, you're relentless, even when you crash, getting back up, like to, you're just a symbol of inspiration to so many people. Thank you. And I love your commitment to your craft and you have fun with it.

And I also really acknowledge you for the last couple of years, like doing the, the inner work. I think it's really hard to look within ourselves and see, hey, something's off. And to do that work. It's been a journey up and on for a while as well. And to be talking about it as a, you know, a global athlete icon, like you and Phelps, to be really talking about these things.

It's really helping a lot of men, especially who are maybe struggling in their inner world. So I really acknowledge you for us. You're open up. And everybody's got their thing.

“And that's why I didn't realize, you know, you look at Instagram and people and go, oh, they got that guy's got it together.”

Right. And like, oh, he's got a crazy uncle. He's got everybody's got something. And I know you're not alone in that, but I appreciate it. Yeah, man.

Thank you. It's been a, it's been a learning. Sure. And then it's still going. And that's, I think that's the exciting part is it's feel like I still have so much more ahead of me.

You know, beyond competing, beyond everything. Right. I'm just like, yeah, I'm so excited for what's next. That's great, man. Yeah, yeah.

Bottom question. What's your definition of greatness? Oh, I thought I was done with it. That definition of greatness. I mean, if you were spoke to me, like a couple of years ago, I had a different answer.

But I think now is, I mean, something I've always carried with me was being just, I don't know, being different, I guess?

I don't know how to describe it.

“When you, when you looked at athletes throughout history and, you know, it was like, oh, Mike Tyson would show up.”

And he wouldn't just win. He would win in a certain fashion. He would win in a certain way. And he would deliver when he had to. And he wore the black drugs.

And he'd go out for like, you know, Muhammad Ali had the, the mouth. And the word, you know, he had, he had so much charisma and all these things. And, you know, if something that defined who they were.

And it's kind of like, I don't know, I've always thought, I look at everything a lot of things.

And form of music. So like, the greatest accomplishment. Usually for a musician is, yeah, obviously to win in the world. It's to find your sound. Like, what's your sound?

Yes. And for me, like, I just kind of like, I feel like I naturally fell into it. Like, I looked different for a lot. I'd read Harris.

I kind of like leaned into it.

I got a huge red hair. And then, you know, when I would show up in a certain manner and certain things. So, I don't know, I feel like, you know, greatness can be taken in so many ways. But I really feel like it's just, it's like seeing the same instrument, but playing it your way.

You know, taking a sport and doing it just different. Yeah. You know what I mean? It's like the same thing. But he just did it a little different than everyone else.

“And I think that's what I strive toward, even though this day.”

It's not so much about like, what trick am I going to do? It's like, what am I going to wear? What am I going to listen to? How is the run going to go down? What would I say?

Where's the unit? There's so much that wraps around it other than just like showing up doing the tricks and trying to win. Yeah. So, I really try to like match all of that. But finding your sound.

Yeah. Finding my sound. So, I think that's that's greatness. In any way, whether it's it's sports or it's music or you, you just finding your own path. But I think it comes in many forms.

It doesn't have to be in the form of a gold statue or something. It doesn't need to be a trophy of any sort. I hope you enjoyed today's episode and it inspired you on your journey towards greatness.

“Make sure to check out the show notes in the description for a full rundown of today's episode with all the important links.”

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And now it's time to go out there and do something great. (upbeat music)