Congrats to the GOAT! @mikaelashiffrin
Mikaela Shiffrin’s grief over dad’s death could have ended her career
Nancy Armour
USA TODAY Feb. 5, 2026, Updated Feb. 18, 2026, 9:02 a.m.
ETEditor’s note: Mikaela Shiffrin won gold in slalom at the 2026 Winter Games, her third career Olympic gold medal.
How did Mikaela Shiffrin’s Overcome Illness Injuries Grief PTSD Challenges Problems [good news, positive news, mental health, inspiring women, ptsd, women in sports, fyp, trauma, explore page]
Mikaela Shiffrin’s grief explored in new docuseries on Olympic skier
“Mikaela laid with her head on his chest for nine hours, I think,” Eileen Shiffrin said in a new episode of adidas’ Illuminated docu series that was released Thursday, Feb. 5.
The 16-minute episode is a sweet and revealing look at the relationship between Shiffrin and her mother, who has been by her side for her entire career. Shiffrin has often praised her mother, who also was a ski racer when she was younger, for knowing her skiing as well as anyone and being able to identify things others cannot.
Mikaela Shiffrin’s grief after her father died was so great her mother didn’t think the all-time World Cup wins leader would ever ski again.
Shiffrin’s father Jeff died Feb. 2, 2020, after falling off the roof of the family’s home. Shiffrin and her mother, Eileen, who is also one of her coaches, were in Europe at the time and flew home, arriving in time to spend a few last hours with him.
“We ended up having to withdraw support and she heard his heart stop beating,” Eileen Shiffrin said. “That’s a hard thing to go through.”Buy now: Celebrate U.S. hockey gold, Knight’s record with commemorative page prints.
The episode is filmed mostly at Shiffrin’s house in Colorado, which is filled with pictures of her father. It also features family videos of Shiffrin when she was young, with her parents and early in her skiing career.
For days after Jeff Shiffrin’s death, Shiffrin couldn’t get out of bed, her mother said.
She couldn’t eat or drink, and she lost weight.
“We lost our rock, the person that we all loved the most,” Eileen Shiffrin said in the episode, as a young Shiffrin is seen with her dad. “I didn’t think Mikaela would ever ski again. I don’t think she thought she would, either.
“We were constantly looking for signs of Jeff’s presence. She (said), ‘I’m just foggy. I don’t know where I’m going, I don’t really feel like I know what I’m doing,'” Eileen Shiffrin recalled. “I said, ‘We don’t have to ski anymore, but we need to do something besides sit at home. So if you want, we can try skiing and maybe you would go on the hill and feel dad there?'”
Mikaela Shiffrin won Olympic gold, then took a moment to remember her father.
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The rest of the 2019-20 season was canceled because of the COVID epidemic. Shiffrin went to Europe that fall for the start of the World Cup circuit, only to injure her back.
She didn’t race again until November 2020.
“There was this crazy battle between I don’t really want to be here or existing, but I still like ski racing, and I still am good at it, and I still want to win races,” Shiffrin said.
Shiffrin has spoken often of not having her usual store of energy that had made her so formidable in the second runs of tech races. But that heaviness gradually lifted, each day bringing her a little closer to where she’d been before her father died.
On Dec. 14, 2020, Shiffrin won the giant slalom in Courchevel, France. It was her first win since Jeff Shiffrin’s death.
Shiffrin would win three more times that season, including the combined title at the world championships in Cortina, site of the women’s Alpine races at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She also won a silver in the giant slalom at those worlds, as well as bronzes in the slalom and super-G.
“Winning was just sort of the statement, the proof that, ‘Oh, I’ve got fire. I’m just trying to figure out who I am again,'” Shiffrin said.
“I love feeling like there’s something I still have to offer that only I can give to her. It’s just still magical and special,” Eileen Shiffrin said in the docuseries. “Knowing us, I don’t think we’re going to stop anytime soon.”
Mikaela Shiffrin on her season of dominance, injury, and resurgence | STIFEL SNOW SHOW
Mikaela Shiffrin’s father, Jeff Shiffrin, dies unexpectedly at 65 | VailDaily.com
How did Mikaela Shiffrin’s father die – Search
Jeff Shiffrin, aged 65, passed away on February 2, 2020, due to a head injury sustained in an accident at the family home in Edwards, Colorado. The Eagle County coroner confirmed that his death was accidental, and he was transported to a Denver-area hospital where he died in the presence of his family, including Mikaela, her brother Taylor, and his wife Eileen.
Jeff Shiffrin was a respected anesthesiologist and played a significant role in nurturing Mikaela’s skiing career, offering guidance, training insights, and emotional support throughout her development as an elite athlete. Mikaela described her father as kindhearted, patient, and the firm foundation of their family, emphasizing the profound impact he had on her life and values.
Mikaela Shiffrin’s father Jeff dies, reportedly after accident in Edwards – Real Vail
The accident was sudden and unexpected, leaving the family and the skiing community in shock. Mikaela publicly shared her grief, highlighting the lessons her father taught her, including the importance of kindness and thoughtful action, and requested privacy as they mourned his loss.
For decades, elite sport sold us one lie: push harder, feel less, win anyway.
Full interview: Mikaela Shiffrin on winning Olympic gold in slalom, grief after her dad’s death
Mikaela Shiffrin got emotional while talking about winning gold without her late dad
At Milano Cortina 2026, Mikaela Shiffrin just won slalom gold, but the bigger victory isn’t medal count.
It’s recovery and care .
After a medal-less Beijing 2022, the loss of her father, a traumatic crash, and PTSD, Shiffrin refused the “grind at all costs” script. She cut her schedule. She spoke openly about intrusive thoughts.
She treated mental health like a medical priority.
When the winningest skier in history says being okay matters more than being perfect, it challenges an entire industry that profits off burnout.
Her gold is historic. And her honesty, revolutionary.