At 44, Baumgartner is a force to be reckoned with in snowboard cross at the Olympics, defying expectations about his age and experience.
Baumgartner, a Michigan native, won an Olympic gold medal in mixed snowboard cross four years ago as a 40-year-old. Now, he's back for his fifth Olympics, determined to do it again despite being considered ancient in the world of snowboarding. His age is a subject of fascination and scrutiny, but Baumgartner isn't fazed.
He knows that at this point in the sport, youth dominates, and he's part of a trend where older athletes are proving themselves against younger competitors. Tom Brady won a Super Bowl at 43, Matthew Stafford is still competing at an elite level at 37, and LeBron James earned second-team all-NBA honors despite turning 40.
For Baumgartner, it's not about being the oldest guy on the team; it's about outworking his opponents. He believes that if he can get his bus moving fast enough, speed will win in a gravity-friction sport like snowboarding. His training reflects this approach – focusing on building explosive power through sprinting and weighted sleds.
With a more efficient way to train just steps from his front door, Baumgartner is well-prepared for the challenges ahead. He's built a snowboard cross course around his home, targeting the same fast-twitch muscles as sprinters. When asked about his approach, he says, "In my mind, it should be the best story of the Olympics."
Baumgartner's determination and work ethic are rooted in his years of falling short at the Olympics. He's learned to become patient and persistent, which has helped him stay on the medal hunt despite being an underdog.
While Baumgartner acknowledges that he can't compete at this level forever, he's already thinking about what comes next – motivational speaking and possibly competing again in the 2030s. His brother Josh sums it up perfectly: "The old guy you shouldn't count out."
Baumgartner, a Michigan native, won an Olympic gold medal in mixed snowboard cross four years ago as a 40-year-old. Now, he's back for his fifth Olympics, determined to do it again despite being considered ancient in the world of snowboarding. His age is a subject of fascination and scrutiny, but Baumgartner isn't fazed.
He knows that at this point in the sport, youth dominates, and he's part of a trend where older athletes are proving themselves against younger competitors. Tom Brady won a Super Bowl at 43, Matthew Stafford is still competing at an elite level at 37, and LeBron James earned second-team all-NBA honors despite turning 40.
For Baumgartner, it's not about being the oldest guy on the team; it's about outworking his opponents. He believes that if he can get his bus moving fast enough, speed will win in a gravity-friction sport like snowboarding. His training reflects this approach – focusing on building explosive power through sprinting and weighted sleds.
With a more efficient way to train just steps from his front door, Baumgartner is well-prepared for the challenges ahead. He's built a snowboard cross course around his home, targeting the same fast-twitch muscles as sprinters. When asked about his approach, he says, "In my mind, it should be the best story of the Olympics."
Baumgartner's determination and work ethic are rooted in his years of falling short at the Olympics. He's learned to become patient and persistent, which has helped him stay on the medal hunt despite being an underdog.
While Baumgartner acknowledges that he can't compete at this level forever, he's already thinking about what comes next – motivational speaking and possibly competing again in the 2030s. His brother Josh sums it up perfectly: "The old guy you shouldn't count out."
! 40+ and still crushing it, who cares about age when u got that fire 
? its all about putting in the work & being dedicated to ur craft. he's def proving people wrong again, just like tom brady & lebron james did in their primes. Baumgartner's not worried about what others think, hes focused on getting that gold & making it happen 
he's still crushing it and I love how he dont let age get to him he's all about the hard work and training 
& yeah Tom Brady winning a super bowl at 43 and matthew stafford still competing at 37 is so inspiring 
LeBron james earning second team all nba honors at 40 shows that age isnt everything 
I mean, 44 is old, and he's already had four Olympics under his belt. What if he starts to slow down too much? 
On the other hand, Tom Brady's example shows that you can still be super competitive even when you're getting older... but is that really fair to the younger guys who are just starting out? 
I guess it all depends on how you look at it. Baumgartner's focus on training and explosive power is great, though – he should totally rock this snowboarding thing for as long as he can! 
. I love how he's built his own training course at home and is using weighted sleds to build explosive power 
. This dude's got game, and I'm here for it 
!
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. Baumgartner's approach to training, focusing on speed and explosive power, makes total sense 
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I'm loving this story of Baumgartner, dude! He's like the ultimate underdog, but he's not letting age get him down 
. Can't wait to see what he does next! 
It's all about hard work and dedication – he's literally building his own training course at home with weighted sleds and sprinting to get that explosive power. 
Baumgartner's approach is all about outworking the competition, not about being the oldest guy on the team. I love how he's staying focused on what matters most – winning those medals! 
! At his age, people would think he's washed up, but the dude is still killing it on the snowboard cross. I mean, who wouldn't want to watch 40+ year old athletes giving it their all and making a comeback? It's like, the ultimate proof that age is just a number 
what's next? him coaching snowboarding prodigies or somethin' 
. He's got this whole 'outworking' thing down pat – it's amazing to see how he's adapted his training to stay ahead of the game. That home-built course is genius 
! And you know what really gets me? His attitude towards being an underdog – he's just like, "Nope, I'm gonna crush this" 
. Plus, can we talk about how motivated he's got to be for the 2030s? Giving motivational talks and competing again? Goals 
- 44 is like ancient in snowboarding! I mean, Tom Brady winning a Super Bowl at 43 is crazy enough but now we got Baumgartner doing the same thing and he's still crushing it 
He's got the right mindset, too - it's not about being old or young, it's about outworking those around him. And honestly, who wouldn't want to train with a bus just steps from their front door? 
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