“Why am I doing this?” Mikaela Shiffrin found herself asking this question in 2016 (performance anxiety). Perhaps again in 2022 (Olympics disqualification). But hopefully not in 2025! How many times can one pick themselves up and rebuild? Well, she’s done it as many times as it takes. Right at the start of 2024, a ski accident kept her in rehab through the first half of the year. Unfortunately, with the Killington crash on November 30, her comeback season also ended in the same fate. And only when we thought things were finally improving did another crushing update drop. Yet, her fans? Let’s just call them absolute loyalists!

Mikaela Shiffrin’s still suffering from the brutal effects of her crash in Killington. After all, it had punctured her in the side, leaving her unable to rise out of a chair till a few weeks back. Imagine, laughing to sneezing felt like a curse too. But she made a comeback on Jan. 30, although the 10th spot in Courchevel’s night slalom was far from a win. There onwards, there was a glimmer of hope. But it seems the dark clouds have arrived once again!

Mikaela Shiffrin is suffering from PTSD after that crash. Yes, you read it right, and that’s foiled her big World Championship plans. Mikaela Shiffrin updated the world on February 9 that because of the PTSD from the crash, she simply was experiencing fear instead of joy during Giant Slalom training. And that has led her to withdraw from this week’s giant slalom race at the FIS World Championships at Saalbach, Austria. Even though she’s the defending champ there and has tried to give her best, the truth of the matter is, “The long-story-short is…I’m not there. Right now, I feel quite far away. I’m currently working through some mental obstacles in order to return to the GS start with the intensity required for racing.”

Well, this has left her fans heartbroken! No World Champs GS for Shiffrin, and that’s not what they had expected. Yet, the maturity they’ve shown? It has left us all stunned! One of them wrote, “Praying for u Ski racing can be terrifying Trauma takes time U r still simply, the best,” in response to Shiffrin’s latest update. Well, they get it! They understand the intensity of the situation when Shiffrin says her fear of the event has been ‘soul-crushing.’ Instead, they just want her to heal mentally on her own pace and terms. No wonder they have responded with nothing but love and understanding. Supporters through thick and thin, right?

It feels like Mikaela Shiffrin is going through it all over again. Between 2020 and 2022, she experienced a huge low point in her life. The sudden death of her father, a nagging back injury, COVID-19 forcing her out of a few World Cup races, and persistent disqualifications wrecked her mental health for a bit. When even the wins made her feel defeated. That’s when she realized, “Everybody experiences the hard days when it’s difficult to keep a positive attitude, and you just kind of need to sit down and cry.”

And now, in 2025, if not the same intense wave, at least a substantial one is now hitting her mental health all over again. But it’s not all upsetting news. If one door has closed, another one has opened. Yes, you heard us! Team USA has just announced its squad for the Team combined events at the 2025 World Championships and it features Mikaela Shiffrin too. Out of a total of 6 teams, 4 would partake in the women’s events, and one of them would feature Breezy Johnson for the Downhill part of the race and Shiffrin for the Slalom. That’s only understandable as the slalom is comparatively safer and slower than the GS.

However, while this feels like a prize, Shiffrin’s fans do not want her to push beyond limits. Especially when the skier’s mental health is on the line. And of course, they are praying over her!

Ski fans continue wishing for Mikaela Shiffrin’s recovery

“Your health, even mental health, is first before everything.” wrote one of Shiffrin’s fans in response to her withdrawal note. When Mikaela Shiffrin says she is mentally blocked from putting in that power or leveling up in terms of speed, it’s clear to her fans that she is genuinely struggling. Why else would a 3x Olympic medalist, a 14x World Championship medalist, or a 99-time World Cup race winner not be able to do that?

Clearly, apart from her mental health, there’s seems to be no explanation for this. But at least Mikaela Shiffrin has been point-blank honest. “That kind of mental, psychological, PTSD-esque struggle is more than I anticipated,” she confessed straight in her announcement. 2 weeks back, she hadn’t been blunt about it and had rather said that it was challenging to come to terms with the fear that this kind of weird crash could happen again.

Regardless, fans do not need reassurance that she’ll bounce back. “And I would add “yet”. You will be there soon. Take your time,” added another fan. We’ve seen athletes like Simone Biles cite her mental health issues and bow out of the Olympics in 2021. But Shiffrin’s doing this for the very first time. She’s been the epitome of strength and optimism throughout these years. Be it standing by her partner, Alexander Kilde, who had been battling injury complications throughout last year.

Of course, things have been heavy for her mentally. Thus, one of the fans had solid mental health advice for her. They wrote, “I can imagine what you’re going thru. My son deals with PTSD from his service. You have had an epic career. Ski if you want not because you have to. Think about your victories, not your fall. Search for joy in what you’re doing. My prayers are with you! You’re awesome!”

Mikaela Shiffrin has been through worse and still has managed to rise back up heroically. In 2016: she was going through severe performance anxiety. Just how bad are we talking? “I would be nervous, and then I’d get more and more and more nervous until I had to puke” she had confessed. Yet, she bounced back. This perhaps gives us confidence that she will again in 2025.

But do we have a deadline for when will the return happen? Well, no. And honestly, no one’s even pushing her to predict that. Instead, fans are rallying behind her, fully understanding that healing—especially mentally—doesn’t come with a set timeline. “If it was physical it’d be easier Mikaela, more tangible in terms of ‘I need x weeks/months’, it’s same for mental injury but it’s not as tangible. Give it time, give yourself a break in every sense of the word and it’ll all work out in the end!”

What do you think of this? Will Mikaela Shiffrin return to the GS event or is she done for good? Let us know in the comments below!