What Makes a GOAT?

When the topic of sports comes up, there are so many conversations about who the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) is. Brady, Jordan, Gretzky, Serena, Phelps… Those are the names that get included in these conversations, and it can be really easy to label someone as the GOAT solely because of their athletic accomplishments. Watching Shaun White take his last run at this year’s Winter Olympics, he showed us all that being labeled as the GOAT requires something a little deeper.

Here are some of the character qualities he displayed that all of us can weave into our own lives…

Say “thank you.” As White was kneeling in the snow after his final run, he repeated the words “thank you” over and over again. The amount of gratitude that poured out of Shaun White in those moments after his last run was overwhelming. Through his tears, he thanked everyone for watching at home, he thanked snowboarding, and he thanked his family. Shaun White, in his final Olympic moment, made gratitude his focus.

Cheer on your competitors. Shaun White is massively competitive. He has shown that repeatedly as a five-time Olympian, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and the most decorated X Games gold medalist of all time. His competitive nature is palpable as he stands atop the hill before each run. But then, in the middle of that competition, White does something that runs counter-culture. He…