“Don’t worry guys. I’m not retiring,” assured alpine skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde in his latest update. While it’s been nine months since he crashed at Lauberhorn, Mikaela Shiffrin’s fiancé is still in the midst of recovery. In fact, the downhill star’s road to recovery has been much more complex than he anticipated. That’s because just when things looked good, a new complication arose.

“It’s been a wild journey so far and we‘re not entirely done yet. One more surgery, one more rehab, and no racing this winter.” Kilde shared his health update video on Instagram. While the 2020 overall World Cup winner didn’t suffer any broken bones, crashing at speed during a downhill race caused serious damage. Yet the skier explained that he was recovering rapidly.

“Until June this summer, I was seeing the light in the end of the tunnel. Basically, things were going great, both in my leg and my shoulder,” explained Kilde. Yet, the 32-year-old’s shoulder issues didn’t improve despite rehab. So, Mikaela Shiffrin’s partner got an in-depth checkup and a concerning diagnosis in return. Aleksander Aamodt Kilde had an infection in his shoulder.

The treatment started immediately, but the alpine skiing champion’s ordeal wasn’t over. The antibiotics initially helped treat the infection, but after “two weeks,” they stopped being effective. Kilde had no other option but to get surgery. “I was back in East Brook, needed to undergo another two surgeries,” revealed the downhill and Super-G specialist.

However, things haven’t been easy for the champion Norwegian skier after surgeries. The 32-year-old said that the infection was so aggressive that it damaged his bone, and “two of the muscles is still not attached” to his shoulder joint. Thankfully, his health is finally improving, and now Mikaela Shiffrin‘s fiancé is looking forward to the final stretch of his recovery.

“Trust me – I‘ll be back,” said Kilde. While the two-time Olympic medalist feels hopeful for the future now, he didn’t feel so optimistic a few months ago. Having to undergo multiple surgeries while antibiotics barely had any effect strained the athlete’s mental health. “Am I going to be able to really use my shoulder ever again?” Kilde asked himself. Thankfully, Shiffrin was there to lift his spirits.

Mikaela Shiffrin was there for the good times and the bad

Following his crash at Wengen, Switzerland, on Saturday, January 13, the alpine skier was quick to update his fans on social media. Kilde posted a couple of photos from the hospital bed, and one who clicked those selfies was none other than Mikaela Shiffrin. “I’m here (and being taken care of by the one and only @mikaelashiffrin)… Patched up,” the Team Norway member wrote.

Despite her own busy World Cup racing schedule, the woman with 97 WC race victories rushed to her partner’s side. The Team USA member also helped Aleksander Aamodt Kilde throughout his recovery. While Shiffrin herself suffered a similar crash, in Italy, just a month after her fiancé, she continued to keep tabs on Kilde’s recovery while healing from knee joint and MCL injuries.

“It’s a long road,” Shiffrin commented on her fiancé‘s road to recovery in March 2024. However, it’s turning out to be even longer than the couple thought. Thankfully, the 32-year-old believes that the worst is behind him. “Trust me – I‘ll be back,” Kilde wrote in his post. However, only time will tell how soon the former champion will make his return to the slopes.