Shortly after claiming silver in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Nick Goepper was ready to call it quits. 

Despite being one of the best freestyle skiers in the world, the then 27-year-old was burnt out. Goepper had struggled before, drinking heavily and spending a few months in rehab shortly after taking bronze in Sochi in 2014. He bounced back, climbing his way back to the top to qualify for and win a medal in PyeongChang. But this time felt different.

"You cannot win an Olympic gold medal and have a balanced lifestyle," Goepper said. "You got to be a savage. You have to go all-in and so just being able to recognize when you are in that super-fierce state of mind."

In Episode 5 of the "My New Favorite Olympian" podcast — titled "Nick Goepper: Freestyle skiing's 'Unc' reaches new heights after hitting rock bottom" — the freeskier opens up about his decision to retire from the sport in January 2023 with hosts Chase Cain and Adam Rippon. For a short time, he was content with his decision. However, a thought occurred to him while watching a ski event that caused him to reconsider. 

"I thought, alright, how cool a story would this be if Nick Goepper returns to competition in halfpipe," Goepper said, "and then goes back and then wins a gold medal at his fourth Olympics."

The dream motivated Goepper to find his love for the sport again in a new discipline. He announced his return in November 2023, training to compete in halfpipe. Since coming back, he's found happiness on the snow, embracing the role of "Ski Unc," a nickname coined by his teenage social media assistant, and competing at the highest level.

Hear all of that and more in this week's episode of "My New Favorite Olympian."

Episodes of My New Favorite Olympian and My New Favorite Paralympian release weekly in the lead-up to the Milan Cortina Games.

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