A new Taylor Swift song is helping Mikaela Shiffrin get ready for the Olympics

Mikaela Shiffrin Is Ready To Put It All On The Line

The Olympic skier tells us how she gets in the zone on race day.

In Bustle’s The Pregame, we talk to women athletes about what they do before a game. What do they need to train? How do they get into the zone? Mikaela Shiffrin, an alpine skier, talks about getting ready to put everything on the line on the slopes.

Mikaela Shiffrin would say that she is “generally pretty risk-averse.” She goes the speed limit. But the alpine ski racer often goes down slopes at speeds of 70 mph or more.

“I can throw myself down a mountain with razor blades on my feet,” the 30-year-old tells Bustle. “It’s a pretty cool feeling when you can use that energy to push the gas pedal.”

Shiffrin’s parents were both racers, therefore she was already skiing at the age of 3. Even so, no one was ready for how well she did. She states, “It was never a given that I would become a World Cup racer, win World Cups, or win Olympic medals.” “I never really thought that would happen or even thought it would happen.”

Since 2012, her mindset has helped her win 101 World Cups, which is more than any other alpine skier has ever won. Shiffrin believes that when she competes away from home, support from family and friends is very important for her success.

Shiffrin says, “The truth is that one of the hardest things about being in the Games is how lonely it can be if you don’t have the people you love there.”

Xfinity

That’s why she is now one of Comcast’s Xfinity athletes in the run-up to the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics in February. Shiffrin said that Team USA’s official communications service provider, Xfinity, will make sure that athletes “know their family and friends back home can watch and have the best coverage, no matter their broadcaster.”

She tells about how she is striving to qualify for her fourth Winter Games and how she stays healthy while doing one of the most extreme sports in the world.

You go to competitions all across the world. What do you usually wear when you fly?

I prefer to wear fancy pajamas that look like they were put together yet can be slept in at a moment’s notice. These days, I’m very into sweat suit pairings that make me appear a little like Sue Sylvester.

So, with all the travel and the sport itself being harsh on your body, what do you need to train, recuperate, and stay energized?

Sleep and food are the most important things. It’s crucial to stay as hydrated as possible, especially if you’re flying for more than two hours or across numerous time zones.

And the most important thing for me to heal, which I’ve always done, is to get enough sleep. I try to take a nap every day.

You also spend a lot of time in the sun and wind. How do you take care of your skin? Are there any products you can’t live without?

SPF—I’m sure everyone knows this, but you should always use sunscreen. I swear by facial oils for hydration, and I love the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer with SPF in it. When my face is really, really hydrated, it looks the nicest, even if it looks a little sweaty.

I do a nice cleanse and then a really excellent hydration routine, like using vitamin C serum or hyaluronic acid, as soon as I get off the hill. Even if I don’t do anything else, I’ll apply oils on my face. Eminence is great. They make some great things. There’s also a firm named Romi Apothecary that makes a seasonal face oil called Queen of the Winter. My tone was the clearest and purest when I started using it a few years back, and I stopped breaking out as much.

How do you get in the zone before a race?

When I’m too nervous to do it myself, music helps me control my feelings. I need to go through my race day playlist and make some changes. I should definitely add some of the new Taylor Swift songs.

What Life of a Showgirl songs will you add?

I think “Ruin the Friendship” would probably be the best. It’s unfortunate, but the idea of taking chances has a double meaning that fits with the race mentality. It’s like, “Okay, let’s do this.” Let’s do it.

I also perform body weight squats, work with a band, and core exercises to keep my body as warm, loose, and flexible as possible.

What are you going to do next as you get ready for the 2026 Olympics?

There will be a lot of travel in the coming few weeks. We have races in Finland and then back in Austria. After that, we go to the U.S. for the Copper [Mountain] races. We’ll be racing almost every weekend until Milano Cortina. I’m looking forward to getting it started.

How does the stress of an Olympic year compare to other years?

The most important thing, especially for American athletes, is the attention and excitement that the Games get. There are a lot more people who see your story, whether it’s about your successes or failures or anything else.

For clarity, this interview has been cut down and trimmed.