As U.S. Vice President JD Vance appeared on the giant screens of Milan’s San Siro stadium during the Olympic opening ceremony, the crowd started booing. Well, there have been tensions in Italy over the ICE being sent over for the Winter Olympics. And many athletes have spoken about representing the USA at such a time. Now, Mikaela Shiffrin joins the lot.

As reported by USA Today, during a press conference, the alpine skier was was asked how she feels representing the United States at the Olympics despite the political tensions in the country. And Shiffrin’s answer had both sentiment and depth.

She said, “I think there’s a lot of hardship in the world, globally, and there’s a lot of heartbreak, there’s a lot of violence. It can be tough to reconcile that when you’re also competing for medals in an Olympic event.”

Shiffrin then mentioned she had some thoughts and politely asked the media if she could read something she’d written on her phone.

“So last night at the opening ceremonies, Charlize Theron, she had quoted Nelson Mandela, and I don’t have the quote off the top of my mind because I’m not brilliant,” she continued.

“Peace is not just the absence of conflict, peace is the creation of an environment where we can all flourish, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste, or any other social markers of difference.”

For Shiffrin, this was the lens through which she viewed her mission as “this relates to the Olympics, I’m really hoping to show up and represent my own values, values of inclusivity, values of diversity, and kindness, and sharing tenacity, work ethic, showing up with my team every single day, like I said before, and the values that we bring and put out on the mountain and on the hill every single day.”

Her message was simple. Mikaela Shiffrin is here for a personal mission that also aligns with her team: that is, to win medals. Furthermore, she believes in the values that she has learned from the start and is willing to keep them throughout her mindset while competing at the Games. And her words were also echoed by two fellow Team USA athletes.

Just like Mikaela Shiffrin, Chris Lillis, and Hunter Hess stressed on the ongoing turmoil

Before the opening ceremony, Team USA’s Chris Lillis and Hunter Hess had a few strong opinions regarding the ongoing situation in their country.

“I love the USA. I would never want to represent a different country in the Olympics. With that being said, a lot of times, athletes are hesitant to talk about political views and how we feel about things. I feel heartbroken about what’s happening in the United States – I’m pretty sure you’re referencing ICE and some of the protests and things like that,” Lillis said.

“I think that, as a country, we need to focus on respecting everybody’s rights and making sure that we’re treating our citizens as well as anybody, with love and respect. I hope that when people look at athletes compete in the Olympics, they realize that that’s the America we’re trying to represent.”

The protests against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) haven’t only been seen in the United States but also in the streets of Italy. Indeed, President Donald Trump’s administration was set to send the agents to “mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations,” as per the United States Department of Homeland Security’s spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin. However, the response wasn’t in their favor.

“They are not welcome in Milan, without a doubt,” Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said, and confirmed that they “don’t need ICE” to host the Games. Signboards from the protest at the Winter Olympics venue read, “ICE agents in Milan? No thanks!” and the message was quite clear.

Similarly, Hess, who was ready for his Olympic debut, said, “It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t.”

The statements from Mikaela Shiffrin and other Team USA athletes clarify that the Olympic Games aren’t just about the gleaming medals; ultimately, victory lies in striving as a singular force united by differences.