“I Was Drowning”: Shaun White Recalls Nearly Dying After a Horrific Snowboarding Accident

The career of Shaun White was elevated after his gold medal victory during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. After suffering from a massive crash in New Zealand just before the Games, he qualified for the competition. Moreover, this victory cemented his legacy as one of the greats. The talented snowboarder experienced a near-fatal crash that could have been bad.

During his time in New Zealand, he practiced for his signature half-pipe event but suffered a massive crash that led to a lot of complications. He recalled the story in a recent podcast and how he faced certain issues with his lungs.

Shaun White remembers his horrific accident

The crash was so severe that he cut his forehead, lips, and tongue. Hence, he required 62 stitches to mend that wound. While performing a double flip 1440, he miscalculated the move and hit the bottom of the board while hitting face-first on the snow. He was then helicoptered to a nearby hospital to receive treatments for his face. On the flip side, this was not the only thing he suffered. Back home sleeping in his bed, White experience severe discomfort and felt like drowning as he recollected the events that happened.

“The only thing that was an issue was, they kinda let me off the hospital, and the whole night I felt like I was drowning. I was like what’s going on and I thought from the procedure, it might be the tube they put down or something. Then took a quick X-Ray, and my lungs were full of blood because of the impact it bruised them. So they threw me straight back at the urgent care area and I just sat there with a bucket and like getting cleared the lungs,” said White.

Suffering from a pulmonary lung contusion, the athlete received treatment for his injury. As the doctors told him to take it slow, White wanted to win. Soon after, he started to train and the rest, as they say, is history.

READ MORE- WATCH: Shaun White Shows Off Flawless Snowboarding Skills Ahead of Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 Qualifications

White wins gold

Heading to the competition as a favorite, White focused on his training. By already winning two Olympic gold medals, his quest for a third did not end there. As the event headed to the last round, White needed a big score. And he delivered. In his final run, he produced a score of 97.75 to take home the gold medal.

Hence, his injury never fazed him as he performed big time. Now looking to qualify for his fifth Winter Olympics, hopes are high for the half-pipe champion. The odds are in favor of the talented athlete as White is not done yet!

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