Injured Snowboarder's Text Inspires Olympic Gold Win

Hours before Josie Baff flew down the snowboard cross course to Olympic gold, a text message lit up her phone with words she needed to hear.

Cameron Bolton, her teammate and mentor lying in a Milan hospital with a broken neck, had sent her a simple message: "You know, you can win this race, Josie." Her reply was just as confident: "I know I can."

That exchange became fuel for Baff's stunning gold medal run at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy. The victory came as a bright spot for an Australian snowboard team devastated by Bolton's training crash just days earlier.

Bolton broke his neck in a practice run and was airlifted to a hospital in Milan. The injury forced him out of competition and cast a shadow over the entire team, especially the men's squad who all failed to advance past their first heats.

Adam Lambert, Bolton's long-time roommate and current World Cup standings leader, struggled to shake the image of his friend being carried away. "I never want to see a teammate, let alone a friend, go down with such a terrible injury," Lambert said after his race.

Why This Inspires

Despite being thousands of miles away in a hospital bed, Bolton found the strength to lift up his teammate when she needed it most. His text to Baff showed what real team spirit looks like, reaching beyond personal pain to celebrate someone else's moment.

Baff and Bolton won mixed-team world championship gold together in 2025, building a close bond over years of competing together. "Cam definitely had a very big part tactically, early on," Baff said. "He was always telling me that I could do it."

The Australian team has become like family through months of training and competing together each year. "We're living out of each other's skin," Baff explained with a laugh. "We have fights, we have a lot of banter, but we are one big happy family."

Bolton is scheduled to return to Melbourne on Monday via medical flight, accompanied by specialist doctors and nurses. Australian spinal surgeons have been consulting on his case, determining that further treatment in Australia offers the best path forward.

"To not have Cam here was pretty heartbreaking," Baff said after her win. "It does feel like a big chunk of the team is missing without him here."

But Bolton's encouraging words helped carry her across the finish line first, proving that sometimes the most powerful support comes not from being present, but from believing in someone when they need it most.