“That’s why I get a panic attack”- Mikaela Shiffrin’s fiancé Alexander Kilde opens up about the aftermath of the terrible collision and surgery

Mikaela Shiffrin’s fiancé, Aleksander Kilde, shared his perspective on dealing with the aftermath of a terrible collision and recovering from multiple operations. The Norwegian Alpine skier crashed horribly at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup downhill competition in Wengen, Switzerland.

Kilde had significant shoulder injuries, including two torn ligaments and a dislocation, as well as knee injuries. The accident necessitated immediate medical attention, so Aleksander Kilde underwent surgery and missed the entire season to focus on his recovery and return to the slopes.

As the 2026 season approaches, Kilde spoke with Mikaela Shiffrin on an episode of ‘What’s the Point with Mikaela Shiffrin’ about dealing with the crash and her post-surgery recuperation. Aleksander Kilde stated that, while he was prepared for injuries as an athlete, the prospect of an infection from the wound made him extremely concerned.

“What struck me the most was that the crash itself was OK; it was like a part of the game. I wasn’t’ready for it,’ but I was somewhat prepared. Everyone is skiing since it’s part of the game. But the infection was more of a frightening thing since it is so unpredictable. It was completely unexpected. “I felt like I did everything right,” he explained.

Furthermore, Kilde stated that he would experience moderate panic episodes following tough training sessions as he attempted to return to the slopes.

“That was horrible, and it has been on my mind since the previous surgery, probably every day, wondering, ‘Is the infection back?’ or ‘Is it gone?’ It has been difficult, especially when I try something new in training, have heavier loads, and begin working out routinely. You may have some fluid in there, which is common in a rehab setting, but I always suspect the fluid is from an infection. So that’s why I get them; call it a panic attack, because it is. Where I wake up alone and I’m like, ‘Oh sh*t, it’s back?’ he said.

We Could Have Still Been Together If He Had Not: Mikaela Shiffrin Breaks Silence on Her Ex, Mathieu Faivre

For years, Mikaela Shiffrin and Mathieu Faivre were one of skiing’s most admired couples — two world-class athletes who seemed destined to conquer life and the slopes together. Their chemistry was undeniable, their bond visible even in the way they supported each other during competition. But when their relationship ended quietly, fans were left wondering what really happened. Now, in a moment of emotional honesty, Shiffrin has opened up about her past with Faivre, hinting that their love story could have survived — “if he had not done what he did.”

A Love Born in the Mountains

Shiffrin and Faivre’s romance began at the heart of their shared world: the snow-covered mountains that defined both their careers. They met on the international circuit, two young stars whose passion for skiing quickly turned into a connection that felt deeper than competition. They trained side by side, pushed each other to be better, and offered comfort when the pressure of the sport grew unbearable.

“Mathieu understood me,” Shiffrin once said in an interview years ago. “He knew the language of skiing, the mindset, the obsession. There was an unspoken connection.” For a while, that understanding was their greatest strength — a love that grew in the silence between races and the shared exhaustion of a long season.

But behind the calm and smiles, there were undercurrents neither of them could ignore. As their fame rose, so did the pressure. Both were chasing titles, expectations, and their own versions of perfection. Love, as they would learn, doesn’t always survive under that kind of weight.

The Cracks Begin to Show

In the early years of their relationship, Shiffrin was already establishing herself as one of the most dominant forces in skiing. Faivre, on the other hand, was struggling to find consistency despite flashes of brilliance. That imbalance, Shiffrin has admitted, started to affect their dynamic in subtle but painful ways.

“When one person is always in the spotlight, and the other feels like they’re living in the shadow, it changes things,” she said softly in her recent interview. “I tried to make him feel seen, but sometimes, no matter what you do, it’s not enough.”

According to people close to them, Faivre’s competitive nature sometimes spilled beyond the slopes. He reportedly struggled with being constantly compared to Shiffrin, whose calm discipline contrasted with his fiery temperament. Small disagreements over time grew into bigger ones — not out of lack of love, but out of frustration.

Shiffrin didn’t go into detail about what exactly caused the final split, but her words — “if he had not done what he did” — carry a heavy implication. It wasn’t one event, but a series of choices, she hinted, that made her realize the relationship could no longer continue.

The Breaking Point

Every love story that ends has a moment when things change forever. For Shiffrin and Faivre, that moment came quietly, behind the scenes, far from the cameras and podiums. “It wasn’t dramatic,” she said. “There was no big fight. It was just… the end of something that had once been beautiful.”

Though Shiffrin did not accuse Faivre of betrayal, her tone suggested that his actions — whether through neglect, pride, or emotional distance — left a mark that couldn’t be ignored. “Sometimes love is tested, and sometimes people fail that test,” she said. “I think we both did, in our own ways. But there were moments where, if he had chosen differently, maybe we would still be together.”

Her words weren’t bitter, just reflective — the kind of honesty that comes only after healing. “I don’t blame him anymore,” she added. “We were young, ambitious, and trying to figure ourselves out. It’s hard to make a relationship last when you’re still learning who you are.”

The Pain Behind the Perfection

In the months that followed their breakup, Shiffrin went through one of the toughest emotional periods of her life. Already carrying the immense weight of public expectation, she now faced loneliness — something few people saw. “You can win races and still feel like you’re losing everything else,” she confessed.

Her father, the late Jeff Shiffrin, became her emotional anchor during that time. “He told me that love and life don’t always go the way we plan,” she recalled. “He said, ‘The heart doesn’t care about medals. It just wants peace.’ That helped me.”

Shiffrin began to rebuild quietly. She focused on skiing, but also on finding herself again — outside of any relationship. “It was hard at first,” she admitted. “Because for so long, I wasn’t just Mikaela. I was Mikaela and Mathieu.”

Mathieu Faivre’s Own Struggles

Faivre, too, faced his share of introspection. After their breakup, he endured a difficult stretch in his career. Known for his fiery personality, he once made headlines after being dismissed from the French team for comments made following the 2018 Winter Olympics. “My performance was all I cared about,” he said at the time — a statement that many interpreted as selfish.

Years later, in what seemed like a moment of reflection, Faivre admitted he had learned the value of humility and empathy. Though he has never publicly spoken about Shiffrin in detail, he has described her as “an extraordinary person” and acknowledged that “sometimes we lose good people when we don’t see what really matters.”

A Love Lost, But Not Forgotten

Despite the pain, Shiffrin doesn’t speak of her past relationship with resentment. In fact, she credits it with helping her grow into the person she is today. “He taught me what it means to love deeply — and what it costs when you take love for granted,” she said. “I’ll always be grateful for that.”

When asked whether she and Faivre still keep in touch, Shiffrin smiled faintly. “Not really,” she said. “But I wish him well. I genuinely do.” There was a pause before she added, “Sometimes people are meant to be chapters, not the whole story.”

Finding Love Again

Today, Mikaela Shiffrin’s heart belongs to another — Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who has become both her partner and emotional support. Their relationship, grounded in mutual respect and quiet understanding, feels different. “With Aleks, it’s calm,” she said. “It’s easy. I don’t have to prove anything — I can just be me.”

Fans have noticed the difference too. Shiffrin’s happiness feels steadier, her presence lighter. “I think going through heartbreak helps you recognize the right kind of love when it comes,” she admitted. “The kind that doesn’t drain you but fills you.”

A Lesson in Love and Growth

Reflecting on her past with Faivre, Shiffrin’s voice carries both strength and grace. “We could have still been together,” she said, “if he had not done what he did — but then again, maybe we weren’t meant to be. Life has a way of showing you what’s right by taking away what isn’t.”

Her story isn’t one of bitterness but of acceptance. She has turned heartbreak into wisdom, learning that love, like skiing, requires balance — and the courage to fall and rise again. “You don’t get stronger by avoiding pain,” she said. “You grow by facing it.”

Conclusion: The Woman Who Skied Through the Storm

Mikaela Shiffrin’s journey — from heartbreak to healing, from loss to love — mirrors her life on the slopes. Every fall, every recovery, every lesson adds to her strength. Her relationship with Mathieu Faivre may have ended, but it remains a meaningful part of her story — a reminder that even in heartbreak, there is beauty.

And though she may never say exactly what “he did,” her silence speaks volumes. It’s not about blame anymore — it’s about growth. Because Mikaela Shiffrin, the champion the world sees, is also a woman who has loved, lost, and learned that sometimes, the hardest turns lead to the most beautiful views.

Why It Was Hard to Let Go: Mikaela Shiffrin Shares an Emotional Event That Happened Between Her Ex, Mathieu Faivre, and Her

For someone whose life has been defined by discipline, focus, and winning, Mikaela Shiffrin has rarely allowed her emotions to take center stage. But when she recently opened up about her past relationship with French skier Mathieu Faivre, her vulnerability caught many by surprise. In her words, love was both her greatest comfort and her deepest challenge. And as she revealed, one particular emotional event made letting go of that relationship much harder than anyone knew.

The Beginning of a Beautiful Connection

Mikaela Shiffrin and Mathieu Faivre first crossed paths on the World Cup circuit, where mutual respect quickly blossomed into affection. Both young, ambitious, and immensely talented, they found in each other a rare sense of understanding. “We didn’t have to explain the pressure,” Shiffrin once said. “We lived it together every day.”

Their relationship became a small pocket of calm in the stormy world of professional skiing. They trained together, traveled together, and shared the highs and lows that came with being elite athletes. Faivre, known for his fiery personality and bold skiing style, complemented Shiffrin’s composed, meticulous approach. For a while, they seemed unstoppable—both on and off the slopes.

But even the strongest connections can be tested when ambition, fame, and personal growth start pulling in different directions.

The Moment That Changed Everything

In her recent conversation with a journalist close to her team, Shiffrin revisited one emotional moment that she says still lingers in her memory—a quiet evening after one of Faivre’s toughest races. “He was devastated after a bad result,” she recalled. “I remember sitting beside him, trying to tell him that it didn’t change who he was. But he wasn’t listening. He kept saying, ‘You’ll never understand what it feels like to fail.’”

Those words stung deeply. Shiffrin, who had also faced pressure and disappointment, suddenly felt the divide between them widen. “It was the first time I felt like we were on different sides,” she said. “I loved him, but at that moment, I realized love isn’t always enough when someone’s pain blinds them to yours.”

That night marked a shift. Though they continued to support each other publicly, something had changed privately. The balance between them—once easy and mutual—started to tilt.

When Love and Ambition Collide

Being in a relationship where both partners are world-class athletes can be exhilarating, but it also comes with invisible pressures. For Shiffrin, success became both her blessing and her burden. Every time she stood atop the podium, Faivre’s struggles seemed to grow heavier. “It wasn’t jealousy,” she said carefully. “It was frustration. He wanted to prove himself, and I understood that. But sometimes, success becomes the thing that separates you, not what binds you.”

Shiffrin recalled moments when Faivre’s pride made communication difficult. “He didn’t want me to comfort him after a bad race,” she said. “He wanted to face it alone. But when you love someone, all you want is to be there. And when they push you away, it hurts.”

She admitted that she often felt torn between being a supportive partner and protecting her own emotional well-being. “I started to feel like I was shrinking,” she said. “I was trying to hold him up, but I was losing pieces of myself in the process.”

The Event That Made Letting Go So Hard

Months later, during the World Championships, Faivre achieved a major victory. For Shiffrin, watching him succeed brought both joy and heartbreak. “He looked at me after his win, and there was this moment—just a few seconds—where I saw the person I fell in love with again,” she said. “It was pure, it was honest, and it reminded me of everything good between us.”

But that moment also deepened the pain. “When I saw him like that, I realized how much love was still there,” she said softly. “It would have been easier to let go if I had stopped caring. But I hadn’t.”

That emotional mix—love, pride, sadness—made the eventual breakup much harder. “It’s one thing to leave someone when it’s all bad,” she explained. “It’s another when you still see glimpses of what made it beautiful.”

The Breaking Point

Despite their efforts, the cracks in their relationship became too deep to ignore. Schedules, emotional distance, and the unrelenting demands of their sport pushed them apart. “It wasn’t a single fight or betrayal,” Shiffrin said. “It was a slow realization that we were no longer growing together.”

She described their final conversation as “heart-wrenchingly calm.” “We didn’t yell. We just sat there knowing it was over,” she said. “I told him I loved him, and he said he loved me too—but sometimes love just isn’t enough to keep two people together.”

Walking away, she confessed, was one of the hardest decisions of her life. “I kept replaying all the good memories in my head,” she said. “The laughter, the small things. Letting go wasn’t just losing a boyfriend—it was losing a part of my past.”

Life After Love

In the months that followed, Shiffrin poured her emotions into her skiing. Her performances fluctuated as she worked through the heartbreak privately. “Skiing became my therapy,” she said. “Every run was a way to process what I couldn’t say out loud.”

Even so, she admitted that it took a long time to truly move on. “People think athletes are mentally unshakable, but heartbreak doesn’t care how strong you are,” she said. “It humbles you.”

With time, she found peace—not by forgetting Faivre, but by accepting what their relationship had meant. “He’ll always be a part of my story,” she said. “Not as a mistake, but as a chapter that taught me what love and loss really feel like.”

Finding Love Again

Years later, Shiffrin met Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who would become her fiancé and partner in life and competition. “When I met Aleks, I realized love doesn’t have to feel like walking on eggshells,” she said. “It can be steady, supportive, and peaceful.”

She has often spoken about how Kilde helped her find emotional balance. “He sees me as Mikaela the person, not just Mikaela the skier,” she said. “That makes all the difference.”

Still, Shiffrin doesn’t shy away from acknowledging that her past shaped her. “My relationship with Mathieu taught me how to communicate better, how to protect my peace, and how to let go with grace,” she reflected. “Sometimes, pain gives you the wisdom you didn’t know you needed.”

A Heart That Has Healed, but Never Forgotten

When asked whether she would change anything about her past with Faivre, Shiffrin paused before answering. “No,” she said finally. “Because even though it ended, it was real. I learned what it means to care deeply, to hurt deeply, and to keep going anyway.”

She smiled faintly. “It was hard to let go because there was love. But I’ve learned that real strength isn’t holding on—it’s knowing when to say goodbye and still wishing the other person well.”

Today, Mikaela Shiffrin stands as not just one of the greatest skiers of all time, but also as a woman who has faced love, loss, and renewal with remarkable grace. Her story with Mathieu Faivre remains a tender reminder that even champions have hearts that break—and heal—just like anyone else’s.

Conclusion: A Lesson in Letting Go

Mikaela Shiffrin’s emotional recollection of her relationship with Mathieu Faivre is a story of love’s complexity—a story about ambition, connection, and the moment that made goodbye so hard. It’s a reminder that even the strongest people can struggle to let go when love runs deep.

“I’ll always remember what we had,” she said. “Because in those moments—good and bad—we were just two people trying to love each other the best we could. And that, to me, still matters.”