Not only is Shaun White a gold medal Olympian, but he’s also down-to-earth.
Since retiring from snowboarding in 2023, White, 37, has spent his free time relaxing after years of competing. He recently hosted the Aruba Relaxathon where 100 of the world’s best relaxers faced off on the sandy beaches and put their zen nature to the test.
“I get phone calls every day, but this one was different. They were like, ‘Hey, would you be interested [in] coming to Aruba?’” White exclusively reveals in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “I like that, that sounds amazing. They said I can host the Relaxathon.”
White tells Us that the competitors are set up “with heart monitors” on the beach while “relaxing” music plays. However, it’s not that simple for the participants. While they unwind in paradise, they face a myriad of obstacles — like getting balls pelted at them or being squirted by children with water guns.
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“People will take their heart rate [and] the person that keeps it the most normal and the lowest win,” he says. “This is the work that is coming to me in retirement and it’s amazing.”
In addition to working in Aruba, White also is spending time with his girlfriend, Nina Dobrev. In July, Dobrev suffered a knee injury from a motorbike accident. While she’s on the mend, White has been by her side.
“She was pretty badly injured and she’s such a strong person that she got a lot better very quickly,” he tells Us. “Actually the employees were very surprised at the physical therapist office with her progress!”
Keep scrolling to see how else White is just like Us:
Us: When was the last time you did laundry?
White: Recently! I’m not immune to the ketchup and mustard stains from a hot dog on my shirt.
Us: What’s your go-to Uber Eats or Doordash order?
White: There’s a Mexican food restaurant here in LA it’s called Tocoya and I usually order two burritos, one for the morning and then I know I’m gonna get hungry later [so] I have a second one.
The first is the breakfast burrito and the second has vegan cheese and vegan chicken and then I usually get some type of like side for Nina, usually plantain chips or something, there has to be an offering made, when I order food for myself.
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Us: What was the last meal that you made for yourself and a loved one?
White: I make some pretty amazing pancakes with almond flour because Nina doesn’t eat gluten. I whip that together with a little brown sugar and cinnamon and then I put in some dark chocolate. Then I put sliced bananas on the top; that’s a very important part. I made those pancakes for Nina, Aaron Paul and his wife and kids and they went over very well!
Us: When was the last time that you spoke to a customer service representative?
White: Oh, God. I have an assistant, so I usually get out of that. It was for some concert that Nina and I went to. The reservation didn’t go through and we had to sit on hold for, like, an hour with Ticketmaster to download the ticket.
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Us: Do you know your Uber rating?
White: It got knocked down a little bit and it’s really hurtful to me because I feel like I’m extra nice when I get in there. But I know what happened: Nina and I were rushing to get to an event and I’m not gonna put it on Nina, but she definitely was, like, “Hey, stop the car right here in the middle of the street,” so she could finish getting ready. I just checked and I’m at a 4.9, but it used to be 5.0! I’m definitely putting it on Nina; she’s taking me down!
Us: Who was the last celebrity that you asked to take a selfie with?
White: [Rock climber] Alex Honnold, in Cannes. I’m a big fan.
Us: Who was the last person who had. No idea who you were?
White: I was on a group trip with The Hoffman Institute, which has finding-yourself-style retreats. I had like a little group that I was with the entire time there was an older gentleman with me, who kept looking like he might know me, on these retreats, you’re not really supposed to talk [about] what you do or yourself.
And at the end, there had been some hints when I was talking about myself and he finally realized and said “I love you!” It was cool to be with a group of people who didn’t know me.
For more on White pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, which now includes 12 additional pages, on stands now.
