Mikaela Shiffrin conducts a lot of interviews. This time, we let her mother ask the questions

Following a record-breaking year, the 28-year-old American ski racer sat down to discuss success, failure, family, and the future with her mother, Eileen Shiffrin.

Ikaela Shiffrin had a successful year in 2023. On March 11, she won her 87th World Cup, shattering the 34-year-old record set by Swede Ingemar Stenmark, widely regarded as the most successful ski racer of all time. Shiffrin is now the most successful racer in World Cup history, and at 28 years old, she has plenty of time to add to her score.

She certainly has a lot going for her. Incredible discipline, strength, and technical ability—you name it. However, Shiffrin has long stated that the secret to her success is not time in the gym or a perfect ski song. It’s her mother, Eileen Shiffrin. Eileen has coached and travelled with Mikaela since her debut season on the World Cup circuit at the age of 15.

Eileen is a former masters ski racer, but by the time Mikaela started competing, she had already settled into a job as an ICU nurse. Eileen never intended to be a ski coach. But it was a natural fit, and the two Shiffrins became an incredible, inseparable partnership. Mikaela’s results dropped when Eileen stepped away from her coaching job, once in 2015 and again in 2019. In 2020, they had to deal with the death of Jeff Shiffrin, their husband and father.

Instead of hiring a writer to interview Mikaela about her year, we chose to pass the microphone to Eileen, who could question her daughter about relationships, achievement, life in the spotlight, and what comes next. Mikaela was attending a preseason training camp in Portillo, Chile, when this interview was filmed.

Picking up glittering prizes at Soldeu and Meribel, France (Photos: David Ramos/Getty; Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty)

EILEEN SHIFRIN: Last season was a pivotal year for our club. I know you mentioned that it was the first season following Dad’s death that you felt you could focus on two runs on race day. I know you prioritise procedure above goals, but how did it feel to reset Ingemar’s record? What motivates you now that that’s in the past?
MIKIELA SHIFFRIN: I was more scared that I would break the record when you were not present. I felt the pressure and didn’t want to think about it anymore. Then you came back to help with the season, which subconsciously influenced my decision. I reasoned, “If it happens here, I’m fine with it because Mom is here.” It was as if the cosmos had told you that it was okay to do it now because your family was present. Let go.

It felt chaotic once I finished it. You get about ten and a half seconds to yourself before being thrown in front of the media and forced to start talking about how you feel before you’ve processed anything. I’ve realised that if it doesn’t sink in within the first 24 hours, it never will. It’s been wonderful to come to camp and ski without thinking about the record. I’m working on improving my position, downhill performance, and gliding skills. Slalom allows for better precision. It’s very exciting to think that I could still be able to get faster.

Shiffrin doing a World Cup slalom run at Soldeu, Andorra, in March (Photo: David Ramos/Getty

Would you say your motivation stems from making small improvements over time?

Right, the record was not a limit. It was simply the furthest anyone had gone up to that moment.

It was the consequence of the process, which had always served as your guiding light. As a result, Ingemar’s record was reset. However, what keeps you motivated is the process of improving your skiing and setting yourself apart. How has your attitude towards being in the public eye altered since you initially gained notoriety for your racing?
I’m actually very interested in hearing your thoughts on this one.

OK! I believe you are more at ease than you were when you initially gained attention for your racing abilities. I believe it was exhilarating for you at first, but also tiring. The hardest aspect was that you’re an introvert who was thrust into the spotlight.
It forced me to become more comfortable with myself. I often reflect about my time at Burke Mountain Academy. If I had to go to the dining hall alone, I would miss meals because I was afraid of walking into a room by myself. It’s already crowded, there are no seats available, and you’re merely carrying your tray while standing. Everyone is already having a chat. I felt like no one missed me, and I shouldn’t be there. That is still my natural instinct. But I’m more comfortable doing what I need to do, existing as I want to exist, and not worrying about who is looking at me.

(Photo: Benjamin Rasmussen)

You and I share a diverse relationship. I am your mother, and to some extent, your manager and coach. We are also best pals. Many people believe that it was difficult for us to build this dynamic. How do you feel about our relationship? Was it ever difficult for you to trust me?
When I was at Burke, you had acquired a job as a nurse at St. Johnsbury Hospital, so you’d be close by when Taylor [her brother] and I went to boarding school. I recall you telling me about one of the parents who remarked something like, “Don’t you think it’s strange that you and Mikaela are still so close?” I believe I was 14 at the time. And that’s a perspective that many people have had throughout our relationship, as you’ve progressed from my mother to my coach to the manager of Team Shiffrin. I recall us both being agitated by that question. What’s wrong with being close to your family? What could go wrong with that?

Being close to you seemed like a gift to me. It also set me apart throughout my skiing career—to be so close to you, Dad, Taylor, and family in general. I have been more challenging at times. Our family philosophy, however, is based on being close, loving, and caring. It has supported me throughout my career.