On World Mental Health Day (October 10), many athletes looked back at their struggles. One of them was Mikaela Shiffrin, who will never forget the day that changed— pretty much everything. She was seated in her living room when a call from her brother shook her world. Her dad had an accident. As he eventually passed, Shiffrin went through a hurricane of emotions, amidst which a stranger’s advice helped.

‘I Want To Remember Everything,‘ she opened up to the Player’s Tribune in 2022, fearlessly voicing everything she thought, felt, and experienced. While the influx of support right after her father’s demise was stunning, she had this one letter from a man that particularly stood out. A volunteer at an orphanage in Portland, he had penned all that he learned from the kids around, who lived their lives without parents.

What was so special about it? Well Mikaela Shiffrin confessed, he talked about anger— a rather overlooked emotion that people may feel when someone dies. She says, “A lot of the time, you just feel incredible, relentless anger.” But, “You’re ashamed of your anger, so you bury it.” There are so many things a person is angry about. About someone leaving them alone, not being able to feel them, not even being able to enjoy life without feeling remotely guilty. “It’s like you have an injury in your soul,” she says.

But, it was when she received this letter that she started processing her emotions. Moreover, a particular line stayed with her that read, “You may need to tell stories about your dad that everyone has already heard 100 times. but that’s O.K. Keep telling them.” He explained how grieving wasn’t an intellectual process. And one grieves just as much as they love. Thus, he remarked how it was okay for Mikaela Shiffrin to be mad at her father, Jeff Shiffrin, for leaving her.

It’s remarkable how this piece of advice worked wonders for the alpine skier. From thinking, “He can’t ski anymore, so why should I?” she started appreciating her emotions and learned how she could get back to doing the things he loved, without feeling that sense of guilt. Like skiing. And now, it has been two years since she spoke about this uphill battle she faced at the time of her father’s death. But today, she’s evolved into an even stronger advocate of mental health.

Mikaela Shiffrin’s 2024 World Mental Health Day message

In 2024, Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde both faced injuries that added difficulty to the year. While Shiffrin recovered relatively quickly, Kilde’s more serious injuries kept him sidelined for longer. To complicate matters, Kilde developed an infection in July that required a six-week course of IV antibiotics. Despite these setbacks, the two have shown resilience in their recoveries.

But as she reunited with him recently, before getting onto the 2024-25 World Alpine Skiing Championships track, Mikaela Shiffrin took a moment to pen a message on World Mental Health Day. She wrote, “I want to take a moment to recognize @akilde. Throughout all of the challenges he has faced this summer, he has taken it all in stride, and continued to find reasons to smile.”

She appreciated how he’d been courageous, honest, kind, and patient, despite all that he went through. This led Mikaela to call him, her “role model in how to take on the challenges that life throws at us. ❤️🙏” Truly, it seems Shiffrin has had situations in life that have tested her mental fortitude. Nonetheless, she emerged victorious! Do you think she can make as stunning a comeback this winter? Share your thoughts below!