Shaun White

Olympic gold medalist Shaun White has seemingly been able to defy gravity every time he steps on a snowboard. As a native of Southern California, White developed a passion for action sports as a child and turned pro by the time he was in his teens. He dominated the sport of snowboarding, turning in death-defying tricks in halfpipe competitions that often landed him in first place. White amassed multiple gold medals at the Winter X Games and U.S. Open titles. An equally accomplished skateboarder, White became the first athlete to win gold medals in two different sports at the Summer X Games and the Winter X Games in 2003.

Yet even with his all his early achievements and commercial success, White still had more tricks up his sleeve when he competed in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy. The athlete stunned millions worldwide when he won his first gold medal in the snowboard halfpipe event. He made history at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada for earning the highest score and for winning back-to-back gold medals in the sport. Following this, in 2011, White won his fourth straight gold medal at the Winter X Games for his Superpipe run.

At the 2012 Winter X Games, White became the first person in Winter X history to score a perfect 100 in the men's Snowboard Superpipe, and 2013 marked his sixth straight victory at Winter X. White did not stop his forward momentum here, either; he went on to compete at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, finishing fourth in the Halfpipe. While training in New Zealand for the 2018 Winter Olympics, White slammed into the edge of a superpipe, necessitating a total of 62 stitches for the resulting facial injuries. This didn't slow White down, however, and he qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team, working throughout the rest of 2017 and into the beginning of 2018 to prepare to join his fellow athletes in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Once in PyeongChang, White scored gold for the U.S. with his victory in the men's halfpipe event. White's win was also the 100th gold medal won by the U.S. in Winter Olympic history, making this a truly momentous occasion. With an impressive career spanning sports, entertainment, and endorsement deals, White has proved himself to be a modern day Renaissance man and role model for generations to come.

Shaun Roger White was born on Sept. 3, 1986 in San Diego, Calif., to Roger and Kathy White. The future Olympian had two open-heart operations before he turned one due to a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot. White had one sister, Kari, and a brother, Jesse, who inspired him to start snowboarding at the age of six. When White turned pro at the age of 10, his brother began working as his manager. The young athlete frequented Okemo Mountain in Ludlow, VT and Bear Mountain in Southern California for his early snowboarding training.

During his formative years, White also took up skateboarding. He met professional skateboarder Tony Hawk - considered a legend in the world of extreme sports - who mentored him until White turned pro at 17. In 2003, White became the first athlete to compete in both the Summer X Games and the Winter X Games in two different sports. More impressively, he won gold at both events and continued to dominate the X Games throughout his career. His fiery red hair and gravity-defying tricks earned him the nickname "the Flying Tomato," and soon enough, White became the poster boy for action sports.

At the 2006 Olympic Winter Games held in Turin, Italy, White was the favorite to win gold in the snowboard halfpipe competition. A collective gasp from spectators was heard after he scored a low 37.7 points out of 50 during the qualifying round, which almost knocked him out of medal contention. White turned out a better performance during the second round and made it to the finals. Scoring a 46.8 at the finals, White beat out fellow American Danny Kass to win his first Olympic gold medal.

Expectations were high when White returned to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. It was widely speculated by snowboarding experts and fans that White had new tricks planned for the halfpipe event. Millions watched as White scored 46.8 points in his first run, which secured his gold medal even without a second run. In true athletic spirit, White performed a second run anyway and debuted a breathtaking stunt called a Double McTwist 1260, earning an even higher score of 48.4 points. White made Olympic history as the first athlete to win back-to-back gold medals in the snowboard halfpipe.

Endorsements for the red-haired sportsman poured in, including lucrative contracts with Burton Snowboards, Target Corporation, and Hewlett-Packard. White also starred in several video game titles such as "Shaun White Snowboarding" (2008) and "Shaun White Skateboarding" (2010). In 2011, White showcased his comedic acting skills with a cameo in the feature film "Friends with Benefits" opposite Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis.