Scotty James, a winter Olympic medalist, wanted to stop snowboarding, but talking allowed him to find a way home.

After a long journey to the Winter Olympics, silver medalist Scotty James enjoys the summer in Monaco.

Australian snowboard superstars now call the glamorous city-state of the French Riviera home, along with the fiancee and F1 heirs Chloe Stroll and his adorable dog Jack Bauer.

When the four Olympic athletes return to the United States for training, he looks back on his recent achievements.

“It was an incredible whirlwind, 18 months,” James told ABC Sports.

“Many things have happened, both personally and in the praise of my profession.”

The 27-year-old boy won a silver medal on the halfpipe at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and a gold medal at the X Games in Aspen a month ago.

In November 2021, during the training of the Winter Olympics, James proposed to take a walk on the snowy slopes of Switzerland.

Stroll is a Canadian singer-songwriter, daughter of Lawrence Stroll, a millionaire businessman, and co-owner of the Aston Martin F1 team.

Her brother Lance Stroll is an F1 driver from a British luxury sports car maker.

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$ 10 display board

James’ journey as an up-and-coming snowboarding genius from Melbourne to a global superstar is well known, but he admits that there are still moments of pinching himself.

“It’s strange from getting my first snowboard to living here in Monaco now,” he said.

By the age of six, James was already competing.

It was the only board small enough for him to ride.

“I wish I could buy a snowboard for $ 10 now,” he laughed.

“But it was a good investment.”

That was certainly the case. At the age of 15, James was the youngest man to compete in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

He made history as the first Australian man to win the Snowboard Olympic Medal when he won the bronze medal in Pyeongchang 2018.

James has become a Triple World Champion, Crystal Globe Winner, and National Open Champion.

Between 2019 and 2020, he claimed to have won the podium at all seven events he attended.

But despite winning gold medals at all other snowboarding competitions, the Olympic gold medals remain elusive.

Bittersweet silver

James was on the verge of agony at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, but Japan’s Ayumu Hirano was described as one of the greatest Olympic halfpipe finals of all time.

“I was clearly aiming for gold to do so at all events, but the margin between the first and second seems to be a blink.”

This made James more determined for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.

Participation in the fifth Winter Olympics has been achieved, but the countries hosting the next Winter Olympics may already be a good sign.

James and Walk are scheduled to get married in Italy next year.

“It’s one of our favorite places,” James said.

The location has not yet been confirmed, but he seemed to accept my suggestion of Positano on the Amalfi Coast.

“Oh, that’s right,” he said.

“In all these sports questions, she [Chloe] I am very happy that we are having this conversation. “

Start a mental health conversation

Another conversation James is passionate about is mental health.

“It’s a big topic for me and I want to think it’s very open to talking about mental health,” James said.

James admits that the pressure he felt when he was about to compete in the first Olympics at the age of 15 was immeasurably isolated.

“I lost my soul and my passion for it and felt like I was doing it for the wrong intention.”

As a teenager, James said he was also working on a variety of physical and emotional changes.

“I had an ego against myself,” he said.

According to Beyond Blue, about one in eight men experience depression and one in five experience anxiety at some stage in their lives.

“In a way, I think it’s old-fashioned not to talk about your feelings,” James said.

“But unfortunately, in some environments it can still be considered” weak or unstable. ” “

At that difficult time, James doubted himself and didn’t feel the ability to deliver what he expected.

Not only does he recognize the unconditional support of his family over the difficult times, but he also encourages anyone in need of professional help to seek it.