-
2022 Olympic Gold Medalist and Iron River resident, Nick Baumgartner with his inspirational book, Gold from Iron, at the West Iron District Library.
2022 Olympic Gold Medalist and Iron River resident, Nick Baumgartner with his inspirational book, Gold from Iron, at the West Iron District Library.
By Vicki Browne
With his recently published book Gold from Iron, Nick Baumgartner tells his story while encouraging readers to pursue their passions.
The Olympian snowboarder won a gold medal in mixed team snowboard cross with his teammate Lindsey Jacobellis in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Baumgartner signed the West Iron District Library’s copies of Gold from Iron and added, “Dreams don’t work unless you do.” His determination to succeed is evident in every chapter.
In a phone interview, Baumgartner agreed with this writer’s synopsis of his story. Grit, confidence, bravado and a bit of recklessness are needed to launch a dream, but dedication, training, perseverance and teamwork are necessary to achieve it.
“It’s easy to dream, but unless you’re willing to fight through adversity and set goals you’re never going to get anywhere near that dream,” Baumgartner said. “If you’re not failing, you’re not trying. Each time you fail, you’re one step closer to succeeding.”
In the book Baumgartner honestly owns every step of his journey, from the gutsy and reckless initial races when he didn’t know how to prepare his board or handle racecourse turns to the glorious Olympic team event when all the training and experience paid off.
Baumgartner’s getting a lot of positive feedback about the book. “It seems like everyone that has read it loved it. The excitement kept them wanting to read more. The lessons in the book are important.”
The students in Patrick Browne’s fifth grade homeroom at Forest Park School picked up those lessons loudly and clearly on an afternoon when Browne read the initial chapters to them.
• Jayce: “No matter if anybody brings you down, don’t give up.”
• Dani: “You have to work hard to get better.”
• Connor: “It teaches you that you can do whatever you need to do.”
• Genesis: “It teaches you to act on your dreams.”
• Dylan: “The book inspires you to accomplish your goals and dreams.”
Reaching back to help young people in small towns find the courage to overcome obstacles is important to Baumgartner. When asked about the best opportunities he has had in the two years since the gold medal race, he said, “My favorite part is all the schools I’ve been able to speak to. Being able to interact with people and share the medal with them. Hopefully to inspire them to go out and get what they want in life.”
Knowing that there are kids in small towns across the U.S. who need to know that they too can have big dreams may mean that Baumgartner has to hit the road to spread the word. “I’m afraid being from a small town and doing a small sport that’s not very mainstream means the message won’t get out,” said Baumgartner. “I’ll have to pack up the truck and travel all over the country selling it out of the back of my vehicle. And I’m willing to do that.”
The themes of hard work and perseverance run through the book as essential components of the journey. Another equally strong theme is gratitude –for family, coaches, sponsors, supportive communities and opportunities. Even the naysayers get credit for motivating Baumgartner. In the phone interview he recalled thinking, “Count me out and see what happens.”
Baumgartner’s message will hopefully empower young people to pursue their passions, but also those who might think that time has passed them by. At 40 years of age he got that elusive Olympic gold medal and he’s still racing, preparing for several competitions in Europe.
“From a 400-foot ski hill to the tallest mountains in the world…anything is possible. You just have to work hard. When life knocks you down you just have to get up.” Good advice from the guy who channeled his U.P. toughness to carve out the life he wanted.
Gold from Iron can be purchased on Amazon using this link: https://bit.ly/3LeE5mi