After a serious crash in a giant slalom race in November, Mikaela Shiffrin has been on a challenging road to recovery. Suffering a puncture to her side that caused severe trauma to her oblique muscles, Shiffrin struggled to regain core strength, but through surgery and intense rehab, she is ready to make her World Cup return in Courchevel, France.
Despite initially being unable to even rise from a chair without pain, Shiffrin has made remarkable progress in a short amount of time. Her focus is on progression and regaining comfort on the slopes, rather than her pursuit of her 100th World Cup win.
The crash itself was a result of putting too much weight on her inside ski while on an aggressive line. Although she suffered no serious bone or ligament damage, something impaled her, narrowly missing vital organs. The recovery process involved consulting with physical therapists from baseball and hockey for guidance, due to the uniqueness of her injury in the ski racing world.
Back on snow since January, Shiffrin has slowly eased back into training, ensuring not to rush the process and risk setbacks. Despite a brief scare in training, where she nearly fell, Shiffrin remains determined to return to competition, with her sights set on a strong showing in Courchevel.
As she heads to Europe for the next leg of her journey, Shiffrin’s team remains flexible with their plans, prioritizing her health and well-being above all else. The ski star is looking forward to getting back on the slopes and continuing her remarkable recovery journey.
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