Canadian snowboarder Maxence “Max” Parrot won a gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics and a silver at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Additionally, Parrot has taken home two gold medals from the Winter X Games Europe and six gold medals from the Winter X Games. He was given a cancer diagnosis in the beginning of 2019 and underwent severe chemotherapy. Later that year, after recovering, he started participating again and defeated fellow Canadian Mark McMorris to win gold at the 2020 Winter X Games.
Parrot began the 2022 Winter Olympics by placing 10th overall in the qualifying round, which meant he would start third in the final. The gold medal for Parrot was assured by his score of 90.96 in the second run of the competition. His victory was not without controversy, however, as the judges later acknowledged that they had missed a knee grab that, in the words of BBC News commentator Ed Leigh, “completely upended the platform.” Speaking on his battle with illness and his victory, Parrot said that “You lack cardiovascular fitness, vitality, and muscles. It feels incredible to be back here at the Olympics, standing on a podium with a gold medal this time.” In the big air competition, Parrot won a bronze medal to cap off his Olympics. You can watch a documentary film about Parrot’s journey to a gold medal at www.max.movie.