When someone mentions descending the Alpine slopes, do you think of Mikaela Shiffrin? A sincere advocate of mental health and the undisputed queen of her sport with 88 World Cup victories. Her story is inspirational, yet an emotional one; She lost her father, who she described as their ?rock and safety net,? suffered a crippling back ailment, as well as a positive COVID-19 test, which also kept her from World Cups. Despite losing her motivation to return to the sport, Shiffrin made a successful comeback this year, creating the most wins record.
Amid Israel and Gaza’s enormity of horror, the internet is covered with media depicting the frightening sight hidden behind debris. Taking note of the devastating situation, Shiffrin sent out another year’s World Mental Health Day message.
Mikaela Shiffrin sends strong message
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?Some things can?t be fixed from afar, yet somehow he managed to anyway,? said Mikaela Shiffrin on losing her father. When the time came for her to express her solidarity, she turned to Instagram to post a brief note, taking into account the affected nations. She started off by saying, “Feeling the weight and destruction of hatred and violence, more and more with each passing moment. I will never understand what solutions anyone could think that they might find through murder.”
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Heartbroken, Shiffrin emphasized with the victims further adding- “I can?t imagine what you must be going through yet again, during these events of devastation, and I hope you will be able to find the courage to seek help and support from those around you if and when you need it. You are so loved, and we want to remind you of that. At the same time, we mourn with you for your losses the past days and over the course of history as well.”
The Israel Defense Forces have confirmed over 1,200 deaths in Israel while the “security incident” is forcing the evacuation of civilians to safer spots. Shiffrin also extended her support to “any and all victims of devastation and murder due to terrorism, hate, religion, and politics.” As she extends her strength to the victims, one cannot forget the time when Shiffrin needed to pull out of her misery.
Mikaela Shiffrin: the inspiring tale
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Alpine skiing was always Shiffrin’s family-supported passive-turned-professional profession. Her anesthesiologist father rose to fame with a camera waiting at the finish line to capture her. Losing him in early 2020 left a huge void in the Shiffrins’ lives. She confessed to ?having panic attacks,? further adding, ?on the days when I feel like I?m not…living up to expectations, whether it?s outside expectations or my own…it?s kind of like, Why am I doing this??
There was always pressure to perform at the races since she was the youngest Olympic women’s slalom champion in history. Later, her return to skiing was unpleasant, as remains the passing of her father. In the 2022 Winter Olympics, three of Shiffrin’s races were disqualified. She stumbled through her hallmark slalom event as the cameras focused on her. Finally, making peace Shiffrin said, “People are very quick to make judgments and have opinions about something that that they couldn’t understand.”?
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Shiffrin’s tale is that of resilience and ensuring that one goes past all the roadblocks that life throws at you. Even after losing her father, a pillar of support, she continues to push through, pursuing her passion for Alpine skiing.
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