Mikaela Shiffrin at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Sestriere 2025 - Source: Getty

"It's just not happening" - Mikaela Shiffrin opens up about struggling with PTSD during her 25th-place finish in giant slalom

Modified Feb 27, 2025 18:12 GMT

Mikaela Shiffrin recently shared her thoughts on mental struggles and PTSD on her comeback after injury. The legendary alpine skier etched her name in history by clinching her 100th victory in the World Cup slalom in Sestriere, Italy.

The three-time Olympic medallist suffered a serious injury during her race in the giant slalom in Killington, Vermont, in November 2024. She sustained a puncture wound to the abdomen and severe trauma to her oblique muscles. After her comeback, Mikaela Shiffrin won her 15th World Championship gold medal in the team combined with Breezy Johnson in Saalbach, Austria. While speaking to CNN Sports, the skier expressed her thoughts on returning to giant slalom racing and experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder.

“There is this kind of mind-body disconnect. I'm telling myself to do certain technical moves and it's just not happening. My body's screaming at me, it's like a fight or flight: ‘No, don’t do it, it's risky, it's dangerous’,” Shiffrin told CNN.

Shiffrin shared that she understood the technical movements she needed to make but that her body was internally resisting, which came from her body’s survival response. She felt the disconnection due to the psychological trauma she suffered due to the crash.

She also secured the FIS World Cup record with 17 wins in a single season. At Levi, she has eight World Cup slalom wins and 18 Global Medals. She specializes in five disciplines, namely Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Downhill, Combined, and Parallel.

Mikaela Shiffrin shares her take on winning her record-tying World gold medal

Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson at the Alpine skiing: World Championships - Source: Getty

Mikaela Shiffrin has become one of the most decorated alpine skiers and has achieved multiple accolades throughout her extensive career. The skier with 155th World Cup podiums has recently shared her thoughts on winning the gold medal at the World Championships combined event. She said via CBCSports,

“I mean, I wish I didn't have to feel the things that I feel sometimes. And I guess everybody has experienced that, is like, I wish it could be easy, but then in the end, it's not easy. And if it was easy, it probably wouldn't be as fun. So, in the end, changing the decision around having to give up the grand slalom, but then feeling like maybe the team combined was possible.”

Shiffrin expressed her mixed feelings around the victory while also sharing her emotional struggles. Additionally, she also mentioned that challenges are the catalyst for growth and success. The prominent skier has secured 16 globes and is the first skier to clinch victories in all of the World Cup's six disciplines, which are downhill, super-G, slalom, giant slalom, combined, and parallel.