There are still things that you hug me with, they will remain forever… Currently, the most successful skier in the world has published a photo with which she remembers the most difficult period in her life. As she herself admitted, it still hurts, and it will probably never get over, among others, you can also find the last photo below or in our photo gallery:
Many envy her and think that she probably has everything. But life is quite clearly simple in some ways and has its own rules regardless of whether you are rich or poor, successful and famous or unknown to the public.
He left too soon
Mikaela Shiffrinová (27) achieved and surpassed all previous women’s records, and currently holds the absolute record in the world of men and in the history of skiing in general.
However, she also has an interesting and strong personal story behind her, which seemed like a fairy tale for a while, but then 2020 came and completely overwhelmed her. Her father, himself a former skier and then a doctor anesthesiologist, suffered injuries in a domestic accident – after falling from the roof, from which he later died in the hospital. Jeff Shiffrin was not only the father of the famous American skier, he was also her best friend, he was her leader and he was someone on whom Mikaela relied both in her personal life and in sports. He completed almost every race with her, he was known for the fact that he used to climb the hill on foot and then take pictures of his daughter on the slopes from the closest angles.
Mikaela Shiffrin and Jeff Shiffrin, FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup Final in Soldeu-El Tarter, Andorra, March 17, 2019
Source: Profimedia
With his death, she lost her father, friend, manager, support and love that he had given her all these years in a single moment. Saying that her family was heartbroken by the unexpected departure of such a kind-hearted, loving, caring, patient father who had taught them so many lessons and taught them so much, Mikaela immediately took a break from the season, and even though she later returned, it took a long time to get to the form in which she was before her father’s departure. Even at the recent races in the Czech Republic, in Špindlerův Mlýn, she talked about how at the last race there, four years ago – her father was also there, and as she recalls now, she remembers everything and feels that she misses him.
After an accident at his home in Edwards, Colorado, Jeff Shiffrin died at a local hospital on February 2, 2020 at the age of 65 surrounded by his family – daughter, son and wife and on this anniversary, Mikeala added an incredibly strong and perhaps her most emotional photo to her profile, which is also her personal confession about what she still feels to this day. He lies on it next to his dying father:
According to his own words, he will probably never come to terms with his departure and is still struggling with grief. At the time of the accident, she was not at home, but with her mother in Italy, upon arrival they just headed to the hospital, where she accompanied her father in his last moments. And then?
“I went into his closet and buried my face in his clothes. That was the first thing I did when I came home after my father’s death… to his shirts, where I took a deep breath, thought of him and sobbed,” she admitted after some time in her notes for her father, which the portal also wrote about essentiallysports.com. Those moments broke her and she was said to be a wreck, but she also actually explained that thanks to some of those things, her father still hugs her today: “There’s a certain scent that everyone has, you know? And it’s what you feel when he hugs you tightly. It’s in favorite sweatshirts, it’s embedded in the fibers forever. You can’t wash it off. It’s eternal… Losing my father turned my whole world upside down. There is no way to fully describe all the emotions I felt and still feel…” Mikaela said with what she thought was an honest way for anyone struggling with grief.
Eileen Shiffrin, Mikaela Shiffrin and Jeff Shiffrin, Audi FIS World Cup Finals, Aspen, Colorado. photo: Tom Pennington, March 19, 2017
Source: Profimedia
Thanks to her father, she also found love
Fans, as well as well-known colleagues and friends supported her even on this sad anniversary, when they sent her many supportive messages and reactions to the photo, including Ester Ledecká, among others. Mikaela gradually got back into skiing shape after this difficult period and not only that. The beautiful thing about it, written by fate itself, is that thanks to her father she actually found love. There is also a skier by her side, the Norwegian racer Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, with whom her relationship began just then the time when she was dealing with the loss of her beloved father.
Diva.sk
Mikaela Shiffrin is the only one reaching legendary records: Do you know her story? Always be faster…
And Aleksander was recovering from an injury and surgery. It was difficult for him because he tore the ligaments in his knee at the moment when he was in his best racing form. And since her father was a great doctor and anesthesiologist, she also passed on some of his advice on sports injuries that he taught her during his lifetime. Today, Mikaela and Aleksander are not only a beautiful couple together, but also balanced and both are really very happy…
