Out of retirement and into the Olympic halfpipe finals, snowboarder Jake Pates’ journey is one of inspiration, courage, and perseverance. In 2020, Pates announced his retirement from the sport due to his mental health. This came as a shock as he had just competed in his first Olympic Games in 2018. What most didn’t know was that following the 2018 games, Pates suffered a serious concussion that took a huge toll on his physical and mental performance. Having lost all belief in himself, Pates announced his early retirement. Pates took a full four years off, and during that time founded a nonprofit called The Happy Healthy Brain Foundation — an organization aimed at increasing awareness about concussion protocols and advancing technologies surrounding brain care, particularly through an emphasis on baseline brain scans. It took stepping away, watching his brain heal, and leaning on the support system around him to step back into the world of competitive snowboarding. Pates proved th...