"We lost him, but we did not lose the time we had with him" - Mikaela Shiffrin pens emotional note on late father's birthday

Mikaela Shiffrin, regarded as one of the all-time greatest alpine skiers, shared an emotional post on her late father's birthday.

Shiffrin’s father, Jeff Shiffrin, was born on March 8, 1954 in Dover, New Jersey. The 2nd of February in 2020 was one of the most heartbreaking days for Mikaela as Jeff lost his life in an accident at the family home in Colorado.

In the post, Jeff can be seen holding their cat Muffin in his arms in a funny video. However, Mikaela got emotional while writing the caption, stating:

“This may not be the most “tasteful” video to share on his birthday… but I can hear his voice, and I can see his smile.'”

She also shared how she felt when she looked at these images and videos of him, stating:

“Looking at pics and videos like this calms my heart when it’s in a panic that my mind might start running out of space to keep safeguarding these memories of him.”

Mikaela Shiffrin further stated that although they lost him, memories will always remain. She concluded by saying that she missed him:

“We lost him, but we did not lose the time we had with him. That was real and that can’t be erased. Sometimes I need to remind myself of that. LYM, Dad. I miss you.”

Jeff worked as an anesthesiologist at Vail Health and Anesthesia Partners of Colorado, where he treated and assisted numerous injured skiers and riders. He loved photography and frequently attended Mikaela's World Cup races to capture images of her and her teammates on the U.S. Ski Team.

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FIS Ski World Cup shares Mikaela Shiffrin’s first and 87th World Cup wins on their social media platform

Mikaela Shiffrin is honored during a celebration of her record-breaking 87th and 88th Alpine Ski World Cup victories at Solaris Plaza on April 2, 2023 in Vail, Colorado. (Photo by Chet Strange/Getty Images)

Recently, the FIS Ski World Cup’s official account shared videos of Shiffrin’s first and 87th World Cup win which she secured in Åre, Sweden. They captioned it:

“Then and Now. Some things never change. We’re not crying, you’re crying. 😭”

She achieved her first-ever win on the World Cup circuit in Are, announcing her arrival on the international circuit on December 20, 2012, as she stunned home favorite Frida Hansdotter.

Mikaela Shiffrin went on to create history by winning her 87th World Cup title at the same venue as she bettered the record set by Swede Ingemar Stenmark of 86 victories, the most in the World Cup.

Mikaela will be making a return to skiing at the World Cup 2023-24 in Åre for the first time since sustaining a severe crash at the Cortina d'Ampezzo downhill on January 26. She is set to compete in Slalom, her signature event, on March 10, and will skip the giant slalom.