Nick Baumgartner was given the hometown hero’s welcome last night in Iron City, Michigan.
Baumgartner nabbed a gold medal in Mixed Team Snowboard Cross alongside Lindsey Jacobellis, and his hometown let him know how proud they were.
Baumgartner is 40 years old, and this marks his first medal in his 3rd Olympic appearance.
Iron City, MI lies just over the southern border of Wisconsin. The town is surrounded by classic Midwestern ski hills and had a population of just over 7,000 people in 2019. The skiing and snowboarding roots run deep, and the town let Baumgartner know how proud they are.
The town threw a parade, and Baumgartner spoke to the residents at a local high school.
You can feel their pride bursting through the screen.
Check out the various pieces of media below. So awesome to see!
🥇The Florence County Highway Department helped escort Olympic Gold Medalist Nick Baumgartner back home to Iron River, Michigan yesterday.
Getting to your destination is no timed event. Please #BuckleUpPhoneDown and leave the competition to the athletes. #Olympics pic.twitter.com/18gqUxeCDw
— WisDOT North Central Region (@WisDOTnorthcent) February 15, 2022