VAIL, Colo. — Skier Mikaela Shiffrin announced on Twitter on Monday morning the unexpected death of her father, Jeff Shiffrin.
"Our mountains, our ocean, our sunrise, our heart, our soul, our everything. He taught us so many valuable lessons but above everything else, he taught us the golden rule: be nice, think first. This is something I will carry with me forever. He was the firm foundation of our family and we miss him terribly," Shiffrin wrote in the tweet.
In another tweet, she wrote, "Go tell everyone you love that you love them and how much you love them, do it right now."
She also asked for privacy to "grieve during this unimaginable and devastating time."
Shiffrin, 24, was born in Vail and is a two-time Olympian who has won two gold medals and one silver medal. At age 18, she became the youngest ever to win an Olympic gold medal in slalom.
She began skiing at age 2 and made her World Cup debut at age 15.
She also made history with more than 40 World Cup wins.
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