IRON RIVER, Mich. (WZMQ) – Iron River native Nick Baumgartner is going back to the Winter Olympics.
The 44-year-old Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding is heading back to his fifth Winter Olympic Games.
But before traveling to Europe, it was important for Nick to thank his fans. Hundreds of friends and family packed the lodge at Ski Brule in Iron River to say bon voyage and good luck to our very own Olympic champion.
At 44, Nick Baumgartner is at the top of his game. After qualifying for his fifth Winter Olympic Games. Nick wanted to spend some time at home, hanging out with his home team at his home base, Ski Brule in Iron River.
“There’s no one with a support system as I have, and just being able to represent these amazing people and to go out there and have their support makes us dangerous. Man, I’m coming with a lot of confidence from the work that I did and from the support system that I have. Without these people and without this community, I don’t get to where I am,” an emotional Baumgartner said.
In a sport where being behind by a half-second is considered slow, 44 might be considered old. But don’t tell Nick that.
“Everyone in society tells you what you can and what you can’t do. You’re too old to do that. You’re not good enough, you’re not from the right place. And I’m here to show you, and my story is here to tell you, if you’re willing to work, anything is possible, and you can do it,” said Baumgartner.
Out on the hill, it was negative seven, with a wind chill of 40 below, but inside, the warmth of the crowd was like a welcoming hearth, each person recalling their own Nick story, where, time and again, this amazing athlete showed us what an amazing person he really is.
“He was the guy who would stop and see somebody struggling and take 15 minutes with that person and help them. He’s a very giving person,” said Jessica Polich of Ski Brule.
And so, in less than two weeks, the world’s attention will be on Milan and Cortina in Italy, and a handful of the world’s greatest athletes, including U.P.’s very own Nick Baumgartner, hoping to make Olympic history one more time.
