The Winter Olympics will kick off soon, and one of the athletes to watch will be Mikaela Shiffrin. Shiffrin is a 2-time Olympic gold medalist and now she has her eyes set on the 3rd medal.

However, the pro skier went through a really hard time in 2020 when her father passed away suddenly. His death took a toll on Shiffrin and at one point she even considered quitting the Olympics. She had recently revealed how great of a man her father was and how much he inspired her.

How did losing her father and hero affect Shiffrin?

Mikaela‘s father Jeff Shiffrin, was an anesthesiologist and an avid photographer. He was always seen taking pictures of his daughter while she was in her competitions, giving back-to-back podium finishes.

In 2020, Jeff Shiffrin met an accident and couldn’t survive the injuries. He was just 65 years old when he lost his life. Mikaela’s father was her hero. His death affected her and her family very significantly. So much so that she thought about quitting skiing altogether.

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She revealed that he was the one who taught her to pursue what she wanted and work hard to make it happen. And Mikaela did, but at the same time, she also got to spend less time with her father. This is what Mikaela regrets the most.

“Because I did something and pursued a dream that I love, I lost a lot of time with my dad. I’ve had the thought of stopping almost every single day,” said Shiffrin.

She also revealed that her father taught her 3 Golden Rules to live her life by. Jeff Shiffrin believed that one must always have fun while working hard.

“He would ask my brother and me, ‘What are the golden rules?’ Be nice, think first, have fun. He thought fun was working really hard for something that you want and making it happen.”

Shiffrin’s only wish is to hear her father say those words again. The brave young athlete will now be competing in the Beijing Winter Olympics and hopes to make her father proud.

“It’s still difficult”: Mikaela Shiffrin

The 26-year-old athlete has revealed that her father’s untimely death is the hardest thing she has ever survived. And though some time has passed, on some days it’s still really hard to accept the truth.

Time and again, Shiffrin has considered quitting her passion. She said that she doesn’t find meaning in anything anymore.

“I just thought I don’t care about actually really anything in life,” she said.

And even though things are somehow getting sorted, she still has a lot of difficult days.

“It’s been a long process to get that motivation and actually the feeling of caring back. A lot more good days than bad now, but it’s still difficult.”

“Race is Not Over Yet”: Mikaela Shiffrin Focused on Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 Despite the Major Setback

But Shiffrin never quit. She decided to take her time, survive through the hard part, and now the athlete is back once again to prove just why she is the very best.