Braeden Adams

Tell us about you! Why and how did you get into your sport?
My name is Braeden Adams, I was born and raised and still live in Calgary, Alberta. My fathers background is Caribbean, and my mothers background is Canadian/Swedish. I played hockey from basically the day I could walk up until I was 12-13 years old. At that point I didn’t even really know what snowboarding was until I had tried it a couple times after we moved into a new house next to Canada Olympic park! I wanted to try a new sport at the time so I joined the Riders On Board snowboard club and my snowboarding career took off from there!

What's a fun fact about you?
My family has always been very sports oriented so I’ve always been into football (I’m an Eagles fan), track & field, basketball, hockey, and volleyball. I've also been recently getting into the mountain biking, road biking, golf, and hiking scene in the summer! My passion for snowboarding has been leading me to explore more in the mountains and I’ve been wanting to get into more touring in the winters as well. I guess I could say I’m always on the go and looking for adventures!

What are your goals and aspirations?
I've always aspired to become a professional athlete. It's led me to chase my dream of the Olympics, the World Cup scene in snowboarding, and the filming side of snowboarding. As of now my goals are more behavioural. My biggest goal is to not be running from my personal challenges, like fear and doubt. And to be the best I can be, health wise, and physically.

I want to say that a guy by the name of Jeremy Sheppard has been a big mentor to me now and over the years I was on team Canada. He played a role in the way I set my goals. We don’t even know each other too well but I’ve taken some really good advice from him and I’ve been able to improve my perspective and view on how to be the best I can be. Thanks Jeremy.

What has been your biggest challenge throughout your career? How did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge in my career was this past season. I had nerve pain in my lower back throughout the season, almost everybody on my team was injured, and I was not able to perform the way I wanted to. I failed that season which is hard to admit. The biggest challenge was not making the Canadian team when they selected it at the end of the season. With Covid-19 hitting us in March, it gave me the opportunity to self reflect over the summer and really reshape where I wanted to take my snowboarding. I’ve been able to overcome this hurdle by broadening my lens and diving into the sport even more. I am now getting into the filming side of snowboarding, touring, and I am still competing as I believe I am just entering my prime. I would love to make a comeback in competition. I believe this has been the biggest challenge I’ve had in my career.

Injury is a part of life and sport - how did you deal with yours?
Through countless physiotherapy sessions and injuries, I’ve learned that injury has to be taken seriously. I've been through quite a bit because of my own injuries. From a broken leg, to lower back issues, and more. I’ve learned that patience is #1 and dealing with injuries is about understanding and studying the human body as well as making proper judgments before I do things!

What gets you the most excited about Stoko?
Stoko to me is a real game changer especially in the sport of snowboarding. As many people know the knees and legs take a beating on the slopes. I like Stoko because the team takes injury prevention into account, this is very important for athletes. The best athletes are also the best at preventing injuries.

I am excited to be a part of the team because it gives me the ability to share a game changing technology that not only helps me but a whole community of athletes. It's also an awesome crew with great and friendly people!

Do you have any pre-competition rituals?
I try to be cool, calm, and collected on competition days. Chill rap music, and lighter snacks like dried mangos to be specific!

Can’t really explain it but there’s a certain way I do up my bindings before my run. And I do it every time.

Favourite snack before/after a sweat session?

Dried mangos.

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Career Highlights:
• 2018/19 - 5th Air Nation Nationals
• 2017/18 - 3rd Western Canadian Championships
• 2017/18 - 3rd Air Nation NorAM
• 2017/18 - 2nd Air Nation Nationals Senior HP