Life After Gold: Nico Porteous on Identity, Anxiety, and What’s Next

Nico Porteous was 16 years old when he won a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

That was just the beginning of his rising star.

He was named Sportsman of the Year award at the 2022 Halberg awards on the back of his incredible Olympic gold medal in the halfpipe at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

Now at the age of 23, he has retired. 

In this raw and revealing conversation, Nico opens up about what it really takes to get to the top- not just the training and pressure, but also the personal sacrifices, mental health battles, and the toll on his body and mind.

We discuss the bittersweet decision to step away from competitive skiing, the impact of injury, and what it means to retire on his own terms.

This is a story about growth, gratitude, and self-discovery, from the top of the podium to the start of a whole new chapter.

I first met Nico at the very start of his career, so it was really cool to connect with him at the very end. And it was even cooler to see he hadn’t rally changed- he is still impeccably polite and well-mannered and totally ego-free. Nico is a proud New Zealander who has made me proud to be a New Zealander, so this was a huge honor.

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