At 30 years old and on the cusp of her 100th World Cup victory, alpine skiing icon Mikaela Shiffrin is shifting her gaze beyond the slopes. In a candid new interview with Olympics.com, the two-time Olympic champion opened up about her engagement to fellow skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, painting a vivid picture of the life she envisions post-racing: one rooted in love, family, and the stable home she cherished growing up.
“Now I’m 30 … I won’t be ski racing forever … With Alex I have this picture of … love and family … being able to actually build something that I had when I was growing up,” Shiffrin shared, her words a poignant blend of reflection and hope. The American superstar, who recently returned from a six-week knee injury layoff to clinch her eighth slalom Crystal Globe, emphasized how Kilde—affectionately called “Alex”—has become her anchor amid the high-stakes world of elite competition.
Shiffrin and Kilde, both 29 and 31 respectively, announced their engagement in April 2024 after three years of dating, a romance that blossomed from a chance meeting at a 2014 World Cup event in Chile. It wasn’t until 2021, following the tragic death of Shiffrin’s father Jeff, that Kilde reached out with a supportive Instagram message, sparking a deep connection forged in shared grief and mutual passion for the sport. They went public that May, with Kilde posting a photo captioned, “If you know, you know…and now you know.”
Their bond has been tested by the rigors of professional skiing. In January 2024, Kilde suffered a severe crash in Wengen, Switzerland, fracturing his lower leg and dislocating his hip—a “brutal” incident that sidelined him for months. Shiffrin, who had her own MCL tear earlier that year, became his steadfast caregiver, visiting him in the hospital as recently as this month amid a shoulder infection complication during rehab. “I would never have liked to see him in that position again,” she admitted, praising his unyielding positivity. Kilde, in turn, has credited Shiffrin with reigniting his love for the mountains after her own post-injury struggles.
As Shiffrin chases history—nearing Ingemar Stenmark’s long-standing 100-win record set in 1989—she’s drawing inspiration from unexpected sources, like Taylor Swift’s relentless work ethic, which mirrors her own. Yet, with the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics on the horizon, she’s increasingly vocal about life after glory. “It’s an equal amount of just having fun and being silly and laughing all the time, but also learning from him and thinking about better ways that I can be as a person,” she said of balancing career and coupledom with Kilde.
Fans and fellow athletes have flooded social media with congratulations since the engagement reveal, a carousel of joyful photos showing Shiffrin flashing her diamond ring alongside Kilde’s wide-eyed excitement. The couple, often dubbed skiing’s power duo, spent the holidays healing together—Kilde jetting home to Norway for Christmas while reflecting on past injuries, a nod to their resilient partnership.
Shiffrin’s words resonate deeply in a sport where careers burn bright but brief. As she stands third in the 2024/25 overall rankings after a dominant slalom season, her vision of a family-filled future with Kilde offers a refreshing counterpoint to the adrenaline rush. “That’s really something that’s really, like, special to me,” she concluded, eyes already on the horizon beyond the finish line.
