Professional snowboarder Scotty James is best known for competing at three Winter Olympics. The recently engaged 27-year-old discusses his upbringing, career and greatest supporters.
Scotty James: “We had tough times when I wanted to quit as I wasn’t coping with external pressures. But Mum made me refocus on why I was doing it.”Credit:Raphael Faux
Winter sport was an atypical aspiration for an Australian growing up in Warrandyte, a bushy suburb 24 kilometres north-east of Melbourne. But for my maternal grandmother, Veronica, my dreams were never too big. She was supportive of everything I wanted to do and made sure I committed to it. When I think of Grandma, I think of a really good hug – she’s a great hugger.
My paternal nana, Jessie, was 103 when she died last year. She grew up during World War II and I used to listen to her stories, like how she and Poppy would write to each other while he was overseas in the army. The things she’d experienced were amazing. She had a fantastic life.
A lot of my early memories of snowboarding are of my mum, Celia. From the age of 10, I spent six months a year in America. Mum would cook dinner every night and make sure I was prepared for my competitions. Mum sacrificed a lot, and as much as she enjoyed being with me, she had three other children at home who my dad, Phil, took care of.
Mum was my guardian and teacher. She organised my travelling school curriculum and did a lot of the work with me. When we arrived in a new country, she’d search for tutors to help.
We had some tough times when I wanted to quit, as I wasn’t dealing with external pressures. But she helped me to refocus on why I was doing it. She was there at my first Olympics in Vancouver, at age 15, and watched me walk out for its opening ceremony. I’m sure she felt overwhelming pride.
Mum is an incredibly emotional person and I have inherited that gene from her. When I talk about things I care about, I start blubbering. My first celebrity crush was the Spice Girls – in the ’90s my older sister Rebecca watched them on TV. I can’t tell you which one I liked best, because I probably had a crush on them all.
I was in and out of school a lot, so I didn’t have romantic relationships. I wasn’t sufficiently emotionally in touch with myself to commit to one anyway, and I didn’t understand how a long-distance relationship would work.
“Mum is an incredibly emotional person and I have inherited that gene from her. When I talk about things I care about, I start blubbering.”
The woman who saved Winter Olympic snowboarder Scotty James’ career
Source: Philippines Alive
