ATLANTA — In ski racing, Mikaela Shiffrin is one of the best at putting distance between her and the competition. As she competes in her first event at the 2022 Winter Olympics Sunday Shiffrin remembers what she had to overcome to make it to Beijing.
In the last two years, the two-time Olympic champion and most decorated American skier in World Championship history lost her grandmother and four months later lost her father, Jeff.
A loss that made it difficult to ski.
"There are still so many moments where there was so much overwhelming sadness and frustration and anger and actual pain," said Shiffrin.
Shiffrin remembers her father and what he loved to do the most, ski.
"For a while, skiing made me feel guilty and incredibly sad because one of his favorite things to do is ski," said Shiffrin.
To remember her father, the words he often said to her are now on her helmet. It read's 'Be Nice. Think First. Have Fun.'
Shiffrin's personal tragedy happened during the pandemic that disrupted the World Cup season. She said it's something that affected her skiing.
Shiffrin went from a record-setting 17 wins in a season to 3.
"My skiing was lacking and that left me and the rest of everybody who was working with me hungry," said Shiffrin.
The two-time Olympic champion decided to not give up. While others took a break, she went straight back into training after her last season.
“I was also the only athlete maybe on the entire World Cup circuit who was finishing that final race and thinking 'I’m getting back out there and training in two days and I’m kind of psyched about it,'" said Shiffrin.
Shiffrin's hard work paid off, the 26-year-old Colorado native is back and ready to ski.
Now, the U.S. Alpine Skier must be ready to take on a course she has never seen before and adapt to race in Beijing.
"I’m excited to just race," said Shiffrin.
As Shiffrin gets ready to compete in the Women's Giant Slalom Sunday, the skiing star will have the support of her family along with her every step of the way.
Everyone in the U.S. Ski Team will have a special message sewn from their family into their jackets.
Shiffrin will have an extra layer of security and an extra layer of support as she takes on her first event of the winter games.
She is getting that distance in ski racing and distance from the past, something she says helps her heal.
"I feel like my mental energy is already getting stronger," said Shiffrin.
Watch Mikaela Shiffrin during here event here: Alpine Skiing, Women’s Giant Slalom Run 1