Shaun White exclusive: Straight to Super Bowl 2022 as Tom Brady, David Beckham show love for "Greatest"

Shaun White is flying from one highlight reel to another on his "appreciation tour" and while the three-time Olympic gold medal-winning snowboarder might be retired, there's still no stopping him.

"I'm going straight to the Super Bowl," White tells Olympics.com right after his emotional fourth-place finish and final farewell at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

The love, praise and thanks have been flowing ever since White said goodbye in a flood of tears in China, and sporting greats like Tom Brady and David Beckham have been leading the chorus.

"Congrats Shaun White The incredible career 💯" posted Brady to his Instagram story, and White's friend David Beckham was full of praise too on his Insta stories saying:

“Congratulations to @shaunwhite on an incredible career… what a proud moment.

“Respect for the greatest. After dominating his sport for 20 years the greatest steps down. Greatness never leaves you. Proud of you man @shaunwhite.”

Just two messages of the thousands White has received since a stunning final performance that had him one spot from the podium.

He sat down with Olympics.com to talk through his career, what it's like to walk away after a lifetime in the sport, and if the internet is right in thinking he's about to propose to girlfriend Nina Dobrev.

First up though, Super Bowl 2022.

"I've never been and I had it on my bucket list," he says, "I've never been to the Super Bowl because it's always kind of during our time on the mountain and in our season.

"So like right away, I get to check something off my list."

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Shaun White talks retirement: "It's wild"

"Hi, my name is Shaun White. I'm a three time Olympic gold medallist, now retired snowboarder for Team USA.

"Oh, that felt good," he says right off the top of the interview.

"That was the first time. It was nice."

Shaun White has been snowboarding since he was a kid, and competing for as long as he can remember:

He had his first sponsor when he was seven, rode at five Olympic Games winning three gold medals, he's a 13-time Winter X Games winner, a five-time skateboard X Games champ.

How does it feel now that it's done?

"It's wild," he says.

"I'm so happy with everything and the response from my friends and fellow competitors and anybody that's kind of tuned in to watch this Olympics.

"The response has been amazing, and that's really warming my heart and carrying me through all this."

"I was very emotional at the bottom and and rightfully so, I spent my entire life doing this.

"Even when I was counted out for the next Olympics in the back of my mind, I was always like, well, don't count me out just yet, I'll probably be there...

"Like, I never really let go until recently. And it's been it's been a beautiful thing."

How did Shaun White feel on his fourth place finish at Beijing 2022?

"You can tell it's the Olympics there's a lot of nerves, there's a lot of pressure, a lot of hopes and people showing up to deliver these performances.

"And sometimes it just doesn't connect.

"I'm very aware of that kind of pressure so putting in that second run, I was just so thrilled. I mean, I nailed it... every hit. I was so proud.

"The 14 at the top, the 1080, the two 12s at the bottom, I'm riding away and just like feeling it.

"And that's why we do it. It's that amazing feeling of like, wow, with the world watching and all that pressure, I put it down.

"I put something solid down and I was a little disappointed in my score, I thought that might have bumped me up into the first position above the third place or whoever ended up finishing in third.

"But, you know, it's a judged event and everybody's got an opinion and it's tough. You just do your best and hope for the best scores and so went back to the top and plotted my next run.

"But yeah, thrilling day."

What will Shaun White miss most?

"It's a double edged thing here, because it's like that anxiety of it all, but you're truly alive.

"Things can go south quickly, but when you put it down and it all connects in this perfect way, it's like it's just such an incredible feeling, that feeling of accomplishment, it's beyond fun.

"There's a level of fulfilment, you know?

"Obviously we're having fun and doing tricks and riding with friends, but there's that level of fulfilment where I set out to do something and I accomplished that goal.

"I feel fulfilled from, you know, all the heartache and all the crashes and things to get to that point and then you achieve it.

"And then that moment of winning where you're standing on a podium and you're receiving this reward for your hard work, those things are undeniable, they're so addictive, at least to me they are, (Laughs).

"So I'll definitely miss that, but I'm sure there are plenty other ways to, well, hopefully, to feel that same sort of excitement and I'm going to see what those are."

Does Shaun White have any regrets?

"I remember being asked this a couple of days ago, and I said something and I was like, I should have said this, and now for the life of me, I can't remember what it is," he laughs.

"Regrets? That's such a tough thing to ask a competitor because your mistakes in life kind of teach you so many lessons.

"So if it weren't for my loss in Sochi, I don't know if I would have come back the way I did for the Korea Olympics.

"The ups and downs, it's like the silver linings show up later on and you kind of go, wow, if that never happened then this wouldn't have happened, and what trajectory your life would have been on if events were different.

"So at this point, I can't really say I have too many regrets, no.

"I'm pretty thrilled and that's what this whole Olympic run was about. My team had kind of coined it as like this victory bonus lap, you know, appreciation tour...

"Like just enjoy, be in the moment, and yeah, if things aren't going your way, then that's OK."

How White decided he'd go for Beijing 2022 qualification on a horse

"A lot of stuff went wrong on the road to get here, but there are so many amazing moments within all of that.

"One of my favourites was Laax, Switzerland last minute, it wasn't a planned trip, I needed to lock up my spot for the team. And I did not want to go. I was very much happy to be home.

"It was my girlfriend's birthday and I'm like horseback riding and I get the phone call like, what's up, I'm literally on a horse!

"Next thing you know, we land in Switzerland and the pipe was incredible, the fans were amazing. Like, what an event.

"And I put it down and locked up my spot, and it was just such an incredible trip. It's just details like that that this process has given me that I'll always remember... the steps along the way."

Shaun White family: From sleeping in a van in the parking lot to the top of the world

White learned to ride in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California with his family.

"Yeah, I mean, they were there every step of the way. I mean, it was my parents calling in sick to work to drive us up to the mountains every day.

"You know, sleeping in a van in the parking lot so we could all go ride the next day, it's so wild to think back to those days to where I ended up, five Olympics later.

"Honestly, I was in tears when they pulled the whole family up and all my friends at home and everyone sitting there, and they just know what this all means to me and they've been there every step of the way.

"So, yeah, thank you."

"They are so amazing because - and I learnt this as I've gotten older - but you know, they could kind of care less.

"Obviously, my mom was so proud, but like 'we were happy with one gold medal like you had to keep going...' she said.

"OK, you know, maybe I had something to prove, but they just appreciate me for being me without all of this stuff.

"So I truly wouldn't be where I am without their support and I can't wait to go home and see everybody, hug everyone and just thank them for all they've done for me."

What was the first thing mom said?

"She was at In and Out Burger, she was like: You're retired. Come get burgers now! Now you can eat burgers, (He laughs). It's a strange family."

Shaun White and girlfriend Nina Dobrev: "She told me how proud she was"

And what about girlfriend Nina Dobrev?

"She was so proud. I mean, she's sent me so many amazing clippings and things... Posts from people, and she just basically told me how proud she was.

"And that you know, she knew I wanted to hit the podium at least and what not, but she was like, hold your head up high.

"You've done that and more and she just can't wait for me to get home."

The internet is buzzing with rumours that he might be about to propose to Nina, any truth in that?

"The Internet, you know, it's crazy place," he says, before one last goodbyes and heading for the Super Bowl.