Waiting to drop in to the halfpipe for his final run at the 2006 Olympic Games, American snowboarding star Shaun White was already celebrating.

The California native had clinched the gold medal with a stellar performance in his first run in the finals, leaving just the formality of a victory lap for his second and final run.

The American threw out fist pumps, celebrated with coaches and teammates and showed off some big-air maneuvers to delight the crowed en route to grabbing the gold.

White was able to enjoy a similar moment at the 2010 Vancouver Games, where he won his second Olympic gold medal after throwing down the competitions top two runs -- the second of which included his new signature trick, the double McTwist.

However, while the present and future seem to be golden for White, the red-haired X Games star had to overcome a health scare en route to becoming the superstar he is today.

White was born was a heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot.

According to the American Heart Association, Tetralogy of Fallot is a combination of abnormalities of the heart that can include a hole between the ventricles and obstruction of blood flow from the right ventricle to the lungs. It can also include issues involving the aorta and having the right ventricle develop into a thickened muscle.

White’s publicist said that his defect was discovered when he was just a baby. To correct the malformations, White needed to undergo two open-heart surgeries before he was 1 year old.

But White’s early health issues didn’t stop him from being active. He was skiing – and keeping up with his older brother, Jesse – by the time he was 4, and was on a snowboard when he was 6.

His natural talent was evident almost immediately. He won his first amateur snowboard competition when he was 7, and after placing just outside of the top 10 at the U.S. nationals that year, White was given a sponsorship deal with Burton.

White captured five national titles as an amateur and turned pro when he was 13.

He went from phenom to superstar at the age of 16 when he captured his first Winter X Games medal.

White’s success wasn’t limited to snowboarding. A dual athlete, he also starred in skateboarding. He began riding with skateboarding star Tony Hawk when he was just 9 years old, and White became a professional skateboarder at 17.

In 2003, White became the first athlete to compete and earn a medal in both the Summer and Winter X Games. He has earned a total of 16 X Games medals – 10 of them gold.

His success has made him a household name in the United States, and has also landed him numerous sponsorship deals that include Target, Red Bull, Oakley and Burton. In 2009 he launched a clothing line with Target called Shaun White 4 Target, and he designed a collection of outerwear with Burton Snowboards called the White Collection.

White is also featured in video games. He partnered with Ubisoft in 2008 to create Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip, and in 2009 Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage was released.

But despite all of his global success, White’s focus is still on competing and innovating in the halfpipe.

With new tricks and two Olympic gold medals, White is truly the king of his sport.