Shaun White won three golds for snowboard halfpipe at ages 19, 23, and 32. The snowboarding phenom is now performing in his last competition at age 35 in the 2022 Winter Olympics. A legendary career as Wikipedia states, “White has also participated in the Winter X Games, where he has won a medal every year since 2002.”
He was interviewed in 2001 by Marco Buscaglia for the Chicago Tribune. The interview shows quite a bit of wisdom for the 14-year-old Shaun. Points like respect for elders, being willing to admit what he doesn’t know, and the importance of community. This short interview demonstrates that Shaun White started his snowboarding career off the right board.
Having some fun with the original article from the print edition of the Chicago Tribune, I highlighted portions of the article and made marginalia summarizing each of his points.
If he was thinking this as a 14-year-old, I like to think he continued this thinking through his career. Perhaps his approach has helped him to achieve what he has.
What a great kid he was; wise beyond his years. Plus, it’s a good diversion from the awful news of the day. Thanks to Marco for writing this and to you, Matt, for including in your newsletter.
Thank you, Sheila. Marco did a fantastic job writing this and interviewing Shaun to get these answers.