Star Revisits Unforeseen Lack of Command in Tumultuous Turn of Events (regarding Mikaela Shiffrin)
Mikaela Shiffrin, the renowned Alpine skier, opened up about her struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a fall incident in Killington in November 2024. The crash, which left her with a deep puncture wound and severe trauma to her abdomen, was just one of several events that contributed to her PTSD.
In an exclusive piece on The Players' Tribune, Shiffrin described feeling as if she had lost control of her body after the crash. Despite healing from her injuries, she felt physically and mentally fit but not like herself. Shiffrin spoke candidly about battles with dark thoughts and feelings of danger, admitting that these experiences were "scary."
The cause of her PTSD might not have been limited to the Killington incident. Internal and external factors, such as her father's sudden death in 2020, her fiancé Aleksander Aamodt Kilde's serious crash in Wengen in January 2024, and an earlier crash at Cortina d'Ampezzo, could have contributed to her cumulative stress and trauma.
Shiffrin's strategy for dealing with PTSD was simple yet challenging – she continued to train and focused on understanding that most situations didn't pose a threat. With time, her body listened to her again, and she returned to competitive skiing in style, winning her 100th and 101st World Cup victories and a gold medal in the team combination at the World Championships in Saalbach. Today, she declared confidently that she feels like herself again.
Shiffrin's recovery process from PTSD was a journey of mental resilience, personal reflection, and support. She emphasized the importance of recognizing the uniqueness of her experience, acknowledging the hurdles she faced during her recovery, and stressing that everyone experiences PTSD differently. After overcoming these challenges, she returned to competitive skiing at a high level, showcasing her resilience and determination in subsequent events.
I'm not going to be able to tackle the demands of science, health-and-wellness, and mental-health research as comprehensively as Mikaela Shiffrin did when she fought and overcame her post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Even in the realm of sports, her resilience in facing her PTSD, which was likely exacerbated by a series of traumatic events, serves as an inspiration.
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