Legendary snowboarder Shaun White completed his final ride in Beijing. The three-time Olympic gold medalist was greeted at the bottom of the halfpipe by other snowboarders congratulating him on his legacy.

White became emotional when he spoke to a journalist reflecting on his career and how happy he was to be retiring.

“Every step of the way has been great. I’m not looking at it from today, I’m looking at it as a whole. I’ll finally have the time to do some things I’ve always wanted to, take some vacations, ride some powder.”

The Californian was happy he could now enjoy watching the sport from a booth rather than worry about safety.

“It would have been nice to cruise in and have a great, easy first run. But I had to fight for it,” White said after qualifying seventh earlier this week. “I had to work for it. That’s been this entire season, me just grinding it out, working for it.”

Shaun started defying odds long before he hit the halfpipe. White underwent not one but two open-heart surgeries before he even turned one. The athlete was born with a congenital heart defect that doctors could repair. White grew up in Southern California, and as a child, he would ride the slopes of the San Bernadino mountains. His family would go to resorts and camp in their van in the parking lots to save money.

He met the legendary Tony Hawk when he was just nine years old and Hawk became his mentor. With Hawk’s help, Shaun was able to turn pro in skateboarding at 16 years old. White has achieved many accomplishments in both skateboarding and snowboarding. When the former Olympian switched from skiing to snowboarding at just six years old, sponsors knew he had the drive to be something big and gave the child his first sponsorship deal.

Although White didn’t go home with a medal from Beijing, he has plenty to be proud of. White’s accomplishments include:

• Being a five-time Olympian
• Being a three-time Olympic gold medalist in halfpipe snowboarding
• Winning 10 Espy Awards
• Holds world record for most X Games gold medals
• Has world record for most gold medals for a snowboarder
• The overall title of Action Sports Tour Champion
• The first-person to compete and win the Summer and Winter X Games in two sports

White had competed in the Olympics since 2006, when he first won gold in the halfpipe. His 16-year Olympic career has had very few setbacks. Here’s a look back at his Olympic rides.

2006 Winter Olympics

White came close to getting disqualified after barely scoring 37.7. His second run down the halfpipe secured his spot, which gave White a score of 46.8, which was phenomenal considering a score of 50 is the highest an athlete can receive.

2010 Winter Olympics

White stuck gold again at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, where he scored 46.8 on his first ride, securing his seat at the throne. He didn’t even need to go on a second run but did so anyway as a victory lap which ended with a move called the Double McTwist 1260, which Shaun dubbed the “Tomahawk.”

2014 Winter Olympics

Shaun White pretty much owned social media in 2014. As the snowboarder finished in fourth at the 2014 Winter Olympics, he was the most talked-about Olympian on Facebook.

2018 Winter Olympics

White’s ride at the 2018 Winter Olympics didn’t go so smoothly despite winning gold again for the men’s halfpipe. The athlete had an accident during training when he crashed into the edge of a superpipe. The injuries sustained required nearly 60 stitches to his face. White was determined to continue, and fans are glad he did. His dramatic display of techniques landed with back-to-back 1440s and secured the 100th gold medal for the United States.

2022 Winter Olympics

The final ride at Beijing ended with White coming in fourth place. When he was getting interviewed, the athlete was brought to tears and was surprised with a video call from his family, friends and girlfriend, actress Nina Dobrev, cheering him on from home. He was the oldest snowboarder to compete in the Beijing games.

White’s career on the slopes may be over now, but his legacy will live on to inspire athletes forever.