Hallie Seaton

Shaun White is a five-time Olympian who has competed in half-pipe snowboarding. He is a three-time gold medalist and holds the world record for most X Games gold medals. He was born on September 3, 1986, in San Diego, California. He is known as “The Flying Tomato” because of his distinguishable red hair that often flies around while he is snowboarding. He took up snowboarding at age 6 after following his older brother to the YMCA. Soon after, he won his first snowboarding competition. Interestingly, he tried skiing before settling on snowboarding. His talent was soon noticed by the famous skateboarder, Tony Hawk, who started training at the age of nine. By the age of 16, he was a professional snowboarder and had competed in prestigious competitions. He started competing at the X Games in 2002 and has won every gold medal since. At the age of 19, he competed at the Olympics for the first time. He won gold medals in 2006, 2010, and 2016. He made history in 2012 by being the first-ever snowboarder to score a perfect 100 in the men’s Snowboard SuperPipe event. He has broken so many records and done so many incredible things with snowboarding. He is clearly an incredible athlete. However, not only is he an inspiration when it comes to snowboarding, he was born with a heart condition and inspired many other people with heart conditions to follow their dreams despite it. White was born with congenital heart disease or CHD.

What exactly is “CHD?”

CHD is a general term for a range of birth defects that affect the normal functioning of the heart. CHD is present at birth and affects the structure of the heart. It can alter the way it works and how blood flows from the heart to the rest of the body. The severity of this condition can range from mild to severe. Mild cases can be something like a small hole in the heart, whereas severe cases could be anything from a poorly formed piece of the heart to missing pieces. It can even restrict blood flow to other parts of the body and can cause the skin to turn blue. There is no cure for CHD, but proper treatment and heart care can help patients live a long, relatively normal life.

White’s Story…

White was rushed to the emergency room as a baby and diagnosed after turning blue due to not having enough oxygen in the bloodstream. White received immediate care for his condition and went on to have a normal and even overly active childhood. Snowboarding provided a necessary outlet for him and helped him overcome the health struggles he faced. In an interview, White stated “Something about having this experience at a young age really put a fight in me,” he said. “I was always driven. Through snowboarding and these sports, I actually got to excel and focus all that energy.” 

All In All..

Those born with heart conditions must constantly monitor their hearts and ensure that everything is working properly. White has been faithfully monitoring his condition since childhood. To this day, he still undergoes testing to care for his heart and identify any possible problems. One day, he may need a valve replacement. White is an incredible role model for children, and models that nothing should hold you back from achieving your dreams.