BEIJING, China — With family members, friends and fans unable to attend the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to the pandemic, athletes, including Shaun White, are taking to social media to give us a behind-the-scenes look of what things are like.
This week, we got a tour of the five-time Olympian and three-time Olympic gold medalist's room in the Olympic Village and a peak at the dining facilities.
Just because his loved ones are unable to be there, he made sure he had photos of his friends and family displayed in the pretty nice looking suite where White is staying. He explained in a later video that his girlfriend, Nina Dobrev, hid them in his luggage.
The snowboarding legend mentioned a book on his counter. We took a closer look and found that he is currently reading "The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment" by Eckhart Tolle. According to the Amazon listing, "the book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light."
During the tour, we couldn't help but notice the decorations hanging around the room. He said he decorated for the Chinese New Year celebration. He even put a poster of the panda, Bing Dwen Dwen, the official mascot of the Winter Olympics. But hey, "don't tell anyone," he asked.
"Snacks! You have to have snacks at the Olympics," he said as he showed a variety of munchies in the room.
He showed off his closet and all of the Olympic swag he has hanging. Many replied to him and asked what he does with all the jackets and clothes.
White said first and foremost, the competition jacket, he'll get framed - like he's done for all the other Games.
He said "a couple items will be stored and archived... just to remember later on."
The rest of it, White said he signs and donates to charity auctions. He said he prefers to do that then just sticking it in a bag and putting it in storage.
He added that sometimes a friend or relative that wasn't able to make it to the games will get a signed item.
Lastly, he gave us a tour of the dining facilities in the Olympic village.
Donning his tray and plastic gloves all athletes must wear "to keep it safe," White showed us the variety of options.
"They got literally everything," White explained as he showed the salad/deli/sandwich station, the Chinese cuisine, Asian cuisine, pizza/pasta, and a "special features" station he jokingly questioned.
"Literally everything."
During a reflective, sometimes emotional news conference Saturday, not far from the halfpipe where he'll take his last competitive ride, the 35-year-old said that, yes, he'll be hanging 'em up for good after the medal round next week.
“In my mind, I've decided this will be my last competition,” he said.