Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde have become one of the most admired couples in winter sports, but their journey from casual acquaintances to engaged partners took nearly a decade—and was forged in some of the darkest moments of their lives.
The two alpine skiing stars first met around 2015 at a World Cup event. Kilde, ever the bold Norwegian, broke the ice with a simple “Hi” and quickly sent the first friend request on social media. Later that season he asked Shiffrin out. Her playful rejection—“I thought I was being cute,” she now laughs—was taken as a polite no, and the moment passed without drama.
For the next six years they remained friendly rivals on the circuit, always respectful while each dated other people. “He never stopped being kind and supportive, even from a distance,” Shiffrin recalled in past interviews.
Everything changed in 2020–21. Shiffrin was grieving the sudden death of her father, Jeff, while Kilde was sidelined for months with a devastating knee injury that left him on crutches. When Shiffrin returned to racing, Kilde sent a heartfelt message of support to her family. This time the conversation never stopped.
“We just kept talking,” Shiffrin said. “It turned out we understood each other on a level almost no one else could.”
That understanding has become the cornerstone of their relationship. As two of the biggest names in alpine skiing—Shiffrin the technical genius with a record 99 World Cup wins (and counting), Kilde the speed specialist with Olympic and world championship medals—their lives revolve around the same relentless travel, pressure, and injury risks.
“Most couples have to explain why a bad race hurts so much or why a good one feels life-changing,” Shiffrin explained. “We don’t. We live the exact same rollercoaster. When one of us wins, the other feels it. When one of us crashes or DNFs, the other is right there in the pain.”
The couple announced their engagement in April 2024, and despite demanding schedules that still keep them apart for weeks or months at a time, they say the distance only reinforces their bond.
Recent seasons have tested that bond more than ever. Kilde suffered a horrific crash in Wengen in January 2024, dislocating his shoulder and suffering deep cuts and a concussion. He made an emotional return to the World Cup podium in late 2025. Shiffrin, meanwhile, has continued her dominance while openly supporting Kilde’s comeback every step of the way.
“We share everything—private life, professional life, the excitement, the disappointment,” Shiffrin said. “There’s no one else I’d rather have next to me on this ride.”
As the 2025–26 season ramps up and the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics approach, skiing’s ultimate power couple remains focused on the same goal they’ve always had: lifting each other higher, one turn at a time.
