(NEXSTAR) — One of the greatest things about the Olympic games is the stories behind all its athletes — because everyone has one. Colorado snowboarder Jake Pates' story involves stepping away from the sport due to some physical and mental health struggles. His last Olympic appearance on the half pipe was in 2018 when he was 19. Pates says it got to the point where competing again didn't feel possible, let alone making it back to the Olympic stage. Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he says the possibility felt even further. "I ended up stepping away from snowboarding," Pates told Nexstar's Brianna Hollis. "It wasn't necessarily because of talent or lack of capability. It was more losing belief, I think, that I could continue to progress, continue to keep going." He credits so much of his return to two longtime friends, brothers Ayumu Hirano and Kaishu Hirano. Ayumu happens to be the reigning halfpipe Olympic champion. "I think [they] encouraged me a lot and motivated me a lot. I just remember them telling me every time, like, 'Dude, what are you doing? Let's get this going again. You need to come snowboarding.'" But a loss of competitive mindset wasn't the only thing Pates was battling. As he was trying to get back in the groove, a devastating ankle injury in 2024 forced him into surgery and out for the entire season. Now that Pates feels like he's fought through that uphill battle, he's viewing this upcoming competition through a lens of immense gratitude. "I was able to come out the other side with this burning passion for snowboarding again," Pates says. He says he wants his story to be less about himself and more about the people his words can help. "You can lose hope and you can lose belief but you can find it again."