Mikaela Shiffrin could have all the glory to her back in 2024 itself. However, as it turns out, fate seems to play tricks on even the most successful ones. It tends to put people in a tough spot to see how badly they want to come back. And this is exactly what happened with the alpine skiing legend, Mikaela Shiffrin. And although she showed the heart of a lion coming back in an emphatic manner, there still remain some variables. Shiffrin could not have done everything by herself.
Thus, after giving the American skiing community a reason to rejoice, Shiffrin is not forgetting to pay tribute to her support systems. But before we delve into that, let’s go back a bit and look at how it all started. After completing her 99 World Cup victories, everybody thought that the 100th one was just a matter of time.
Likewise, the stage became set in Killington, Vermont. And with Shiffrin in the lead, the entire crowd began cheering to their fullest. And then it happened. Everything suddenly came to a halt. A shocked arena witnessed Shiffrin crashing brutally into the safety net. For a while, there was pin-drop silence. As the legendary skier made no movements due to the shock, the crowd slowly began to break out of their trance.
Luckily, Shiffrin was seemingly right as she was carried off the snowy trail. Back at the hospital, the visuals of a smiling Shiffrin did relieve the fans. But her update with the puncture wound seemed to be quite worrying. However, Shiffrin seemed too tough for fate to challenge her. Going through a grueling recovery routine, the legend was back on the snow in no time.
And come February 2025, Mikaela Shiffrin had her dreams fulfilled. Competing at one of her favorite slaloms at the Sestriere, Shiffrin glided through the snow at an incredible pace to get to the finish line before everyone else. Keeping a lead of 0.61 from second-placed Zrinka Ljutic, Shiffrin finally clinched her 100th victory!
Basking in celebrations right after the achievement, Shiffrin had been looking pretty much jolly and excited. However, amidst all the cheers, it looks like she has not forgotten the ones without whom she could not have gotten to this historic milestone. Taking to her Instagram, Shiffrin wrote, “The support and kindness and congratulations my team and I have received have been overwhelming (in the best way)… thank you all so much! Sharing this with teammates and especially on the podium with @paulamoltzan was truly unforgettable. (&@zrinkaljutic too!)”
Surely, the comeback required some gargantuan effort from Shiffrin’s supporting team to have her back on track. However, despite the sun finally shining bright on the Alpine skiing legend, she cannot forget some of the horrific crashes and an even tougher setback in life that helped her mold her mentality and composure into an iron-clad state.
Mikaela Shiffrin reflects upon the crashes and the loss that broke her
Mikaela Shiffrin’s journey to 100 World Cup victories is a saga of triumph like no other. But behind this lie are stories of brutal setbacks. From crashes that left her battered to emotional wounds that cut even deeper, she has faced it all. Now, after her latest win in Sestriere, she has recently opened up about the most traumatic falls of her career. Both on and off the slopes.
Her most recent crash in Killington last November was a harsh reminder of skiing’s unforgiving nature. A puncture wound to her abdomen forced her to pause her pursuit of history. Even before that, a devastating knee injury in Cortina d’Ampezzo sidelined her for six weeks. But while the physical toll of her crashes was severe, it was nothing compared to the emotional impact of losing her father in 2020.
Engaging in a candid conversation with herself, Shiffrin shared, “Before Beijing (2022 Winter Olympics), I was talking with a sports psychologist, and it was helpful to a point.”. She further shared how she feels that it has been her mother who has supported her like a rock. Shiffrin believes that it’s her mom who has turned out to be one of her “greatest sports psychologists.”
However, as she continued to push through the mental and emotional struggles, she realized she needed more support. Narrating the emotional upheaval, Mikaela added, “The last couple of years, since my dad passed away, I felt like some of the challenges I faced mentally and emotionally existed outside of the field of sports. It was the first time that I started speaking with a clinical psychologist.”
Through it all, Shiffrin has learned more about herself and how to navigate the demands of her career while carrying the weight of personal loss. “It’s been extremely helpful for me to understand more about myself… learning how to communicate in a way that is clear and beneficial for all those working around me has also been a journey,” she said.
From the agony of injury to the grief of losing her father, Shiffrin has endured more than most. But with each fall, she has found the strength to rise again. And rising like a phoenix and grabbing the victory every time, the 29-year-old has been proving why she’s undoubtedly one of the greatest skiers of all time!
The post Puncturing Her Lungs Two Months Before Comeback Mikaela Shiffrin Makes Heartfelt Admission After 100th Win appeared first on EssentiallySports.
