Professional snowboarder Red Gerard is ready to represent the United States at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
The 17-year-old, who has been snowboarding since he was 2, will be competing in the Slopestyle and Big Air events for Team USA in the upcoming games.
Watch Us Weekly‘s exclusive video with Gerard above to learn more about the athlete ahead of the Olympics.
1. He Doesn’t Listen to Music While Competing
“I actually have recently stopped listening to music while I’m competing,” he shared with Us. “I just find it’s kind of easier to just listen to the snow and you know, tell if there’s wind or not.”
2. He’s Excited to Visit PyeongChang Again
“I am! I’ve been there twice now. I kind of have seen everything about it!” the Ohio native, whose full name is Redmond Gerard, told Us.
3. He Makes Mistakes, Too
“Well, it’s always embarrassing when you catch your edge, and I’ve definitely done that multiple times,” he told Us about his most embarrassing moments while competing.
4. Who Does He Look Up to the Most?
While he admires professional athletes, including snowboarders Mikkel Bang and Danny Davis, Gerard says that his friends are the ones that inspire him the most. “I’m really inspired by my friends. I’m psyched to ride with them usually, and they’re really fun to hang out with,” he told Us.
5. Which Emoji Would He Be?
Gerard told Us: “The skier emoji — not the boarder — the skier.
6. He Wants the Olympics to Be More Relatable
“We should put some ping pong in there, I think,” he said. “People can relate to it. No one can really relate to going off huge jumps and stuff. Like, ping pong? Everyone can do that!”
7. He’s Very Happy With His Life
“I don’t have many ‘I wish I could,’” he shared with Us. “I live a pretty good life. I’m pretty psyched on my life.”
8. He’s Looking Forward to Celebrating With His Family
If he wins, Gerard hopes to celebrate with his parents, Conrad and Jen Gerard, and his six siblings. “Hopefully, my family is there and I can just maybe go out with them and have a nice dinner,” he told Us. “Nice and easy.”
To learn more about Gerard, visit teamusa.org. The Olympics begin February 8 and will air on NBC.
