Levi. Austria. Copper Mountain. Mikaela Shiffrin has opened the season with a commanding run of World Cup victories- 104, to be precise – putting herself right back at the top of Olympic predictions for Milano Cortina. That momentum didn’t come easily. Last November, a crash at Killington left her with a punctured abdomen and severe muscle trauma. Now, exactly a year later, she’s responding with results, turning that setback into statement finishes as fans rally behind her resurgence.

She might have achieved a lot in a short time, but the scars of that battle haven’t fully faded. On her social media, the two-time Olympic champion shared clips of herself riding an exercise bike while a machine monitored her abdomen. The visuals appear to be from her recovery phase, when she was still dealing with the stress of her injury. Her caption serves as a reminder of how far she has come, now stacking 3 back-to-back world cup wins.

“What a difference a year makes. At the time, it was hard to feel progress day-to-day… but looking back now it’s so clear. Feeling very thankful right now.💛 Can’t say I miss Allen though!”

Just a year ago, Shiffrin was leading after the first run of the giant slalom with hopes of winning her 100th World Cup, but fate had different thoughts. As she neared the finish line, she made the grave mistake of leaning into the hill, losing her edge, and crashing directly into a gate.

She was then slammed into another gate before coming to a stop in the protective fencing. Shiffrin was soon transported to the hospital, where the doctors told her that it could be fatal if they stitched the wound, as the injury was too deep and there would be a risk of infection.

The wound left a deep scar on her lower abdomen and also on her mind.

“Everyone knows what it feels like to have a bad cough. But PTSD … it’s not like that. It comes in all shapes and sizes. Everyone experiences it in their own way, and no two cases are exactly alike. ”

She further expressed through her writing for the Player’s Tribune.

“Difficult to explain what the pain felt like. But the closest I can get would probably be, it was like … not only was there a knife stabbing me, but the knife was actually still inside of me.”

It was traumatic! Yes! But how long can you keep a skiing connoisseur away from the snowcapped mountains? She made a quick comeback at the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Courchevel, France, where she secured the 10th position in the giant slalom – not a podium finish, but enough to restore her confidence. Now that Mikaela Shiffrin is fully recovered, her latest social media post has sent fans a wave of inspiration.

The skiing community is inspired by Mikaela Shiffrin’s recent social media post

How would it feel if you were stabbed in the abdomen? Thankfully, most people would never know. But Mikaela Shiffrin does. She is just built different. Describing the severity of her crash, she admitted, “The crash … was like someone was stabbing me with a knife.” Despite the trauma, she is back in the mountains, delivering more every week.

One fan wrote, “And the sport is so thankful for you. Give that girl a Lexus!”

Another fan echoed the sentiment, saying, “Way to battle back – and thanks, it makes the whole winter to watch you race ⛷️”

The past two months have been phenomenal for Shiffrin. She opened her season with a win at the Levi World Cup Slalom, followed by a victorious comeback on the snow-covered slopes of Gurgl, Austria, where another fellow contestant crashed during practice that ended her season, even before she could appear at the entry gates.

She then conquered Copper Mountain, stacking wins one after another.

“Look at you now. 3 for 3 in SL to start the season by over a second in each race. 🤯 The GS will come along. Super G might help.”

Another fan added to the emotional wave of support, “We lived that with you. So thankful too 😘”

Looking ahead, someone had to remind her just how far her fame spread.

“You have NO IDEA how many people you inspire. It’s a bunch! God bless.”

With two Olympic gold medals, Shiffrin has already secured her place among the greats, but expectations for the upcoming Winter Games remain high.

As one fan put it, “Glad you’re better and looking forward to watching you go for gold at the Olympics.”

Mikaela Shiffrin will not back down; she refuses to. With the Winter Olympics fast approaching, the trauma sits firmly in the rear-view mirror, and only the pursuit of glory lies ahead. How will she perform on the world’s biggest stage? Time will tell.