"Hardly being able to get up off the couch" - Mikaela Shiffrin reflects on rock-bottom moment after Vermont skiing crash injury

After returning from her severe injury, Mikaela Shiffrin won gold in the team combined event at the 2025 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, Austria. She recently shared her thoughts on her post-injury process and keeping herself motivated.

She encountered a crash during her giant slalom race in Killington and sustained an abdominal puncture wound and severe muscle damage. After undergoing surgery, she has made her comeback. She recently shared her thoughts on keeping her positive mindset directed through her rehabilitation process in episode three of “Moving Right Along” on her YouTube channel.

“Small improvements are massive when you're coming back from an injury but it's also challenging to just be positive. It took up until a week after surgery, which was about two and a half weeks after my crash, just to be able to get in or out of bed with like any level of comfort, like going from the top-level competition in sport to hardly being able to get it up off the couch, is.. that can beat a person down,” she said [4:05 onwards].

Mikaela Shiffrin is a three-time Olympic medalist and is one of the greatest Alpine ski racers with 99 World Cup wins. Through her views, she also expressed that maintaining a bright outlook amidst recovery can be arduous. Additionally, she shared that having decreased mobility after suffering a severe injury can be daunting as well.

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Mikaela Shiffrin reflects on her passion and drive for ski racing

Mikaela Shiffrin at the Audi FIS Alpine World Ski Championships - Women's Slalom - Source: Getty

The iconic alpine ski racer started pursuing the sport at a young age. Her parents were former ski racers and served as her inspirational figures. Shiffrin, who has 18 global medals reflected on her drive that encourages her and how ski racing acts as her way to express herself in a video posted by Atomic Ski Fans.

“I feel connected with myself when I'm skiing. It's sort of a form of expression. I feel like I can explore creativity when I race, when I train when I ski. I feel like it's a way to channel energy that I have. I feel like Iacan express myself better and ski racing is basically is my tool of expression. It's helped me grow into to somewhat of a more confident person,” she said [2:10 onwards].

Mikaela Shiffrin expressed that she shares a profound connection with skiing and that the sport acts as a way for her to communicate. She has several prominent accolades, including eight gold medals from the World Championships, 62 World Cup slalom wins, 22 World Cup giant slalom wins, and a record 8 World Cup slalom wins at Levi.