My earliest memory of watching the Olympics was when I was 6 years old.
It was the 2014 Sochi Olympics. My family was living in Switzerland at the time for my dad’s job. We all sat around the TV in our living room, watching as some of the best alpine skiers in the world shot down the mountain in record time. Women’s slalom was always my favorite event. I would gaze intently as each female skier raced down the hill, cross-blocking each gate with their pole. Their complete control and agility amazed me.
I was never a brilliant athlete, although I grew up trying all kinds of sports. The one I stuck with the most was alpine skiing, which my dad had put my sisters and me into at a young age. I joined a competitive ski racing team, where we had three-hour-long practices at the local ski hill, preparing for races and learning slalom and giant slalom, just like they do in the Olympics. I stuck with the sport until high school, when I realized I enjoyed reporting on and observing sports more than competing in them.
This year’s Olympics were no different for me. Even though I had to watch the games on my iPad in my tiny shoebox dorm rather than on the family TV with my parents, my obsession remained intact. I find all kinds of events entertaining, from hockey to speed skating. However, there were a few female athletes this year who truly stuck out to me, not just for their talents but for their inspiring stories. One of these is a very well-known athlete: Mikaela Shiffrin.
Since I was a kid, I’ve been incredibly inspired by the tenacity and skill of Shiffrin, the greatest female slalom skier in the world. She inspires me for so many reasons. On and off the hill, she has a positive energy that just makes you want to listen to her talk. Born in Vail, Colorado, she skied from a young age and became incredible at her craft, training hard to become a highly decorated alpine skier. Fun fact: my sister actually met her in an elevator! She was incredibly kind and even took a selfie with her.
As an Olympic medalist who holds the most Alpine World Ski Championship wins of anyone in history, Shiffrin has proven herself to be an incredible force in the world of ski racing. But at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Shiffrin left the games without a medal. This shocked the world, seeing as she holds many records and is renowned as a champion in her event.
She spoke openly following this event about the kinds of pressures athletes face, and how she was in a period of her life filled with uncertainty and grief. She battled difficulties with mental health, which other athletes like Simone Biles have been open about. Alongside that, she lost her father, Jeff Shiffrin, in 2020, who was a crucial figure in her career and one of her biggest supporters. I admire her so much for her attitude following those games.
Coming into the 2026 Milano Cortina games, there was a lot of anticipation around her performance. People wondered whether she would be able to perform after coming out of the last Olympics without medaling.
It became clear to me while watching her fantastic slalom performance that Shiffrin truly earned her place as one of the greatest female skiers of all time. Watching her fly down the hill with such confidence and balance amazed me. She ended up taking home yet another gold medal, impressing every alpine ski racing fan and Olympic supporter with her epic comeback.
The truth is that Shiffrin never lost her edge. She has always been brilliant in her sport, and this shows through her admirable attitude. Following her win, she opened up to the press about the struggles of wanting to celebrate her victory while also dealing with the grief of losing her father and learning to celebrate without him here to see it.
“This was a moment I have dreamed about,” she said. “I’ve also been very scared of this moment. Everything in life that you do after you lose someone you love is like a new experience. It’s like being born again.”
I think Shiffrin articulates herself so well. She has learned that the grief she feels can’t ever fully go away. There’s no way to completely return to your old self after a traumatic event. But her work ethic and passion for the sport have propelled her forward, allowing her to feel pride in her achievements. She is admirable not just because she wins medals, but because of the attitude she exemplifies through her transparency as an athlete.
That is the ultimate attitude of a true champion
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