Tributes have been pouring in for Shaun White following his retirement from snowboarding after decades of gracing the surface. Notably, White finished 4th at the halfpipe finals on February 11th, thereby ending his dream of a 4th Olympic Medal.

This was Shaun White’s last Olympic Games. Previously he has participated in 4 Olympic Games, starting from 2006. After his exit from the Olympics, he was paid tribute by hundreds around the world for being the legendary career he had.

Shaun White is an inspiration for millions around the world, but not many are aware that he has battled a great illness to get to where he is today. A mother of an 11-year-old snowboarding athlete has paid tribute to the great struggle that White has been through in his career, thanking him for inspiring her son to do the same.

Shaun White – An inspiration for many

For those who may not know, Shaun White was born with a heart defect. He suffered from what is called the Tetralogy of Fallot. A rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects that are present at birth.

The defect posed a serious threat to White and his future in the career. He underwent 3 major surgeries to overcome this. White overcame this major obstacle and went on to become one of the greatest snowboarders ever.

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Michele Engle, a mother of two, recently shared a video of how her son, who survived the same. Her son, who is 11 years old, is also an aspiring snowboarder and looks up to Shaun.

“@shaunwhite has always been a role model to @roccoengle. He has shown him that anything is possible even if your life starts out a little hard,” posted Michele.

Shaun has displayed immense courage in battling his heart defect. In turn, he has inspired so many others in unexplainable ways. But undoubtedly, the sight of young Rocco going from strapped to medical wires to gliding to heights in the snow has to be the most inspirational video of the day.

READ MORE: “A Big Scare”: Shaun White Reveals the Constant Horrors of Heart Disease Ending His Career

A legacy left behind

Shaun has previously spoken about this defect, which really had an effect on his childhood. He thanked his parents for never stopping him from doing what he loved. They always encouraged him and this played a big role in his career. Similarly, Michele has also encouraged her little boy to pursue his passion.

Acknowledging the same, Shaun shared the video. “This warms my heart, thank you for sharing,” posted White on his Instagram story.

Undoubtedly, White’s acknowledgment will be an added boost for Rocco and many others going through battles of their own. Clearly, White might have retired from the sport, but he leaves behind a legacy that will be remembered for ages to come.

WATCH: “I Wanted More Today”: Shaun White Breaks Down to Tears While Talking to Nina Dobrev and Family After Final Run at Beijing Winter Olympics 2022