In a heartfelt reflection shared on social media, alpine skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin expressed profound gratitude to her team, family, competitors, partners, fans, and the broader skiing community following what she called a “uniquely special season.”
Shiffrin capped one of the most dominant campaigns in the sport’s history with a staggering list of achievements: her 110th World Cup victory, a triumphant return to the Olympic podium with gold in slalom (her third Olympic title in the discipline, won by the largest margin in any alpine event since 1998), a record ninth Slalom Crystal Globe, and a record-tying sixth Overall Crystal Globe. She also dominated the slalom discipline with 9 out of 10 wins this season and climbed back onto the giant slalom podium, while helping the Stifel U.S. Women’s Ski Team secure the Nations Cup Overall title for the first time in 44 years through incredible team depth.
Yet for Shiffrin, the numbers tell only part of the story. “Words are truly not enough to convey all my feelings… and just how grateful I am to my team for all of your support this year,” she wrote. “Big heart. Big energy.”
She emphasized that these successes were achieved with passion, purpose, and unity. “We all worked every step of the way to better ourselves… our communication, our approach, our team energy.”
Shiffrin was quick to deflect personal credit, insisting the accolades belong to a wide “village of support.” She thanked her family and partner Aleks for lifting her up, competitors who pushed her limits, long-time partners who have become family, the entire Stifel U.S. Ski Team for building the right environment, passionate fans, and media members who cover both the triumphs and deeper topics like mental health and PTSD.
She also extended a special message to young dreamers—“the little girls and boys out there who dream to seek and shatter their own limits”—and to those navigating grief and loss, noting that “sometimes getting out of bed is a victory enough.”
Despite the extraordinary haul, the 31-year-old American icon made it clear her fire still burns bright: “This sport has given me so much, I am still as eager as ever to see what challenges lie ahead… not done yet ❤️.”
The post, accompanied by a photo from Max Hall, quickly resonated across skiing and sports communities, highlighting not just Shiffrin’s unparalleled record-breaking prowess but also her humility, resilience, and commitment to using her platform for connection and inspiration.
As the 2025-26 season draws to a close, Shiffrin once again proves why she is widely regarded as the greatest alpine skier of all time—on the slopes and beyond.
