Mikaela Shiffrin visited the scene of her season-ending crash in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Wednesday, March 20, and exhibited no signs of sorrow.
During a World Cup downhill race on January 26, the American alpine skiing sensation suffered a tibiofibular ligament and MCL sprain on the Olympia delle Tofane circuit. The 29-year-old’s chances of winning the Crystal Globe overall were dashed by the injury, which forced her to miss the following 11 races.
But when Shiffrin went back to the same location that flipped her season upside down, she showed no resentment. She went on to win the slalom title in Are, Sweden, and then set a record by winning her record-breaking 97th World Cup in Saalbach, Austria.
The American can be seen skiing down the same slope where her tragedy happened with Slovenian alpine skier Tina Maze in a video that she posted to Instagram.
Shiffrin captioned the video with the words “A day for the soul.”It’s hilarious to go back to the crash site and feel completely at ease as you freeski past it.
“We learn, we develop, we live, and hopefully we don’t let fear control how we enjoy the things we love to do. Accept it for what it is: a necessary component of the process, nothing more or less.
The video’s motivational message and Shiffrin’s remarks made after her victory in Saalbach, where she expressed her excitement for the next season, are echoed.
“I am eagerly anticipating the upcoming season,” Shiffrin expressed to FIS after the race.