You’ve seen him win gold – but who is Shaun White?

Every four years since first winning Olympic gold at the Torino 2006 Games, American snowboarder Shaun White has captivated a global audience with his daring feats on the half pipe.

But what fuels White off the snow? Let’s take a look.

Born 3 September 1986, the now 35-year-old had humble beginnings. The youngest of Cathy and Roger White’s four children, Shaun White was born with a congenital heart condition that required two open-heart surgeries in his first year of life.

Those surgeries have inspired White to give back, as he’s helped to grant 17 wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He even donated his boards to three Make-A-Wish recipients who travelled to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games to watch him compete.

Outside of snowboarding, White has explored multiple artistic pursuits including acting, music and writing.

He’s made cameo in appearances in the film Friends with Benefits, which starred Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, as well as on television in the animated series American Dad and the reality show The Girls Next Door.

In January 2022, White announced ‘Whitespace,’ a company set to make outerwear, snowboard hardgoods and streetwear, according to Forbes.

“Whitespace is obviously a play on my name, but also it means opportunity, a gap in the market, a blank canvas waiting for something new and creative,” White said. “Snowboarding is one of the only sports where I can invent a new trick and be the best in the world. I love that opportunity and openness about the sport.”

Romantically, White has been dating Nina Dobrev, a Canadian actress who starred in The Vampire Diaries, since early 2020.

He recently told Olympics.com that the possibility of starting a family is an appealing prospect once he retires following the Beijing 2022 Games.