Alpine skiing’s all-time greatest just dropped a raw, no-filter update that has fans talking. In a 25-minute solo YouTube episode titled “Why I’m Still Skiing (And What’s Next),” Mikaela Shiffrin opened up about motivation, records, a chaotic week in New York City, and the one question that keeps following her: when’s the wedding?
At 31 and already the winningest alpine racer in history, Shiffrin knows the retirement questions aren’t going away. People look at her mountain of crystal globes, Olympic golds, and World Cup victories and assume she’s maxed out. She disagrees.
“It’s not about records or numbers for me,” she said. Those stats? Her team tracks them. What actually keeps her coming back is pure curiosity. She wants to know what’s around the next corner and whether the work she’s putting in right now will unlock something new. Last season she dominated slalom like never before and reclaimed Olympic gold, yet she insists the real joy still lives in the process — dialing in turns in training and watching those small adjustments pay off on race day.
“I simply love skiing, and I still feel like there’s more in that,” she explained. Right now that curiosity is laser-focused on super-G, her “passion project.” She’s hungry for more time at high speed so her brain can relearn how to process terrain, gates, and snow at that level.
Shiffrin also admitted that growth doesn’t always happen on snow. After the season she spent a whirlwind week in New York City doing things that make an introvert’s skin crawl: live podcast recordings, the ESPYs, the Time100 Sports Gala, red carpets, and constant small talk. Helmet and goggles? That’s her comfort zone. Public appearances feel like an out-of-body experience. Still, she said she’s learning from the discomfort and refuses to take her platform for granted. It’s given her a chance to talk openly about grief, PTSD, mental health, climate change, and expanding access to snow sports — conversations that fans tell her actually help them feel less alone.
As for personal life, Shiffrin and fiancé Aleksander Aamodt Kilde only manage about five solid weeks together each year thanks to their packed schedules. Wedding planning? It hasn’t started. And that doesn’t stress her out one bit.
“I know who I want to spend my life with,” she said. “At this point we’re just trying to actually enjoy the limited time we get to spend together.”
No dramatic retirement announcement. No wedding date. Just the GOAT still chasing better turns, still curious about what’s next, and still very much in the game.
