"I get a flash of myself crashing"- Mikaela Shiffrin makes shocking confession as she gets real about PTSD diagnosis

Mikaela Shiffrin recently shared that she has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following multiple crashes on the slopes. She shared that, she now experiences intrusive thoughts, such as sudden flashes of crashing while skiing, which make it difficult to focus.

Shiffrin explained that these thoughts are not tied to a single crash, such as her fall at Killington, but rather a repeated sense of losing control. This fall severely affected her confidence.

Reflecting on the diagnosis, the skiing champion posted a video on her YouTube Channel 'Mikaela Shiffrin' on March 27, 2025. She said:

"It's not necessarily the crash from Killington but it's the same sort of experience like the sort of tunnel vision looking through goggles. The course that I was training ahead of me is like every turn that I ski, I get a flash of myself crashing on that turn and then you can imagine yourself blowing through the fencing like crashing into the trees that really has forced me to pull back and not want to take on the speed." (1:41 onwards)

In November 2024, Shiffrin crashed during a World Cup giant slalom in a race in Killington, Vermont. She missed a gate near the finish line and slid into the safety netting. The crash resulted in a deep puncture wound to her abdomen and severe muscle trauma.

After her crash in November 2024, Shiffrin opened up about the difficulties she faced during rehabilitation.

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Mikaela Shiffrin reflects on challenging rehab

Mikaela Shiffrin at the STIFEL FIS World Cup Finals - Slalom - Source: Getty

The skiing legend returned to competitive action in January 2025, two months after being away due to a crash in Killington. Her crash resulted in her requiring a surgery. She further shared that, the recovery was difficult and she thought that she wouldn't be able to compete in the 2025 season.

Reflecting on the crash, she said:

"I got impaled back in November, and I had about a seven-centimetre deep puncture wound, or stab wound, into my obliques. So that's been quite a gruelling process of rehab and trying to recover ... I think it's been a little bit uncertain whether I could even return this season, but I've been able to get on snow. I've been able to train a little bit the past week or so."

On March 27, 2025, the 30-year-old won the World Cup Finals slalom race in Sun Valley, Idaho. She surpassed Germany's Lena Dürr by 1.13 seconds.