Mikaela Shiffrin shares her reasons for continuing to ski and gives a wedding update in a solo YouTube episode.

Mikaela Shiffrin has offered fans an unusually personal glimpse into her life and career, opening up about her motivation, future ambitions, off-season routine and wedding plans during a candid solo episode on her YouTube channel.

The 110-time World Cup race winner released a 25-minute video titled Why I’m Still Skiing (And What’s Next), using the opportunity to reflect on one of the most successful seasons of her remarkable career while discussing what continues to inspire her after more than a decade at the very top of alpine skiing.

Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates winning the women’s overall World Cup skiing title, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
Gabriele Facciotti/AP photo

Alongside talking about her training schedule and competitive goals, the American star also gave an update on her engagement to Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, revealing why the couple have yet to begin planning their wedding.

Shiffrin Reflects on an Extraordinary Career

Throughout the video, Shiffrin acknowledged that many people often question what still motivates her after achieving virtually everything possible in alpine skiing.

She explained that discussions about retirement and motivation have followed her for years, even while she continued winning races and breaking records.

Prompted by her production team, she briefly revisited her lengthy list of accomplishments, which now includes 110 World Cup victories, multiple Olympic medals, numerous world championship titles and an unmatched collection of World Cup crystal globes.

Despite those achievements, Shiffrin insisted that statistics and records have never been the driving force behind her career.

Instead, she emphasised that her passion for skiing comes from something much deeper than trophies or historical milestones.

Success Has Never Been About Breaking Records

Looking back on her journey, Shiffrin reiterated a message she has repeated throughout her career.

She explained that chasing records has never been her primary objective, regardless of how many milestones she has reached.

Although many observers naturally focus on numbers, victories and titles, the American believes those achievements only tell part of the story.

For her, the greatest satisfaction comes from continuing to improve as a skier rather than simply adding another trophy to an already remarkable collection.

That philosophy continues to shape the way she approaches every season.

Curiosity Remains Her Greatest Motivation

Rather than describing herself as someone motivated purely by competition, Shiffrin revealed that curiosity has become the biggest factor keeping her in the sport.

She explained that she constantly wants to discover what lies ahead and whether the work she puts in today will produce better performances tomorrow.

Instead of asking how many more victories she can achieve, she finds herself wondering how much further she can develop technically and mentally.

That desire to explore her own potential continues to provide the motivation needed to train, travel and compete at the highest level despite already enjoying one of the greatest careers in skiing history.

Technique Continues to Drive Her Passion

Shiffrin explained that numbers alone fail to capture the true experience of elite sport.

In her view, some of the most valuable lessons are learned during difficult seasons rather than successful ones.

Those challenging periods often produce the greatest technical improvements, even if results do not always reflect the progress being made behind the scenes.

For that reason, she has always placed greater importance on refining her skiing technique than on counting victories.

She described her connection to skiing as something rooted in individual turns, explaining that technique provides the strongest link between her and the sport she loves.

Every improvement in that area continues to bring genuine satisfaction.

Learning Still Brings Excitement

The American star described herself as someone who has always enjoyed studying every aspect of skiing.

One of the greatest rewards comes from solving technical problems during training before eventually seeing those improvements translate into race performances.

According to Shiffrin, that learning process remains every bit as exciting today as it was when she first entered the World Cup circuit.

Even after sixteen seasons competing against the world’s best skiers, she still believes there is more to discover and more progress to make.

That belief continues to fuel her commitment every time she steps onto the snow.

Super-G Has Become Her Latest Challenge

While Shiffrin has enjoyed tremendous success across multiple disciplines, she admitted that super-G currently provides her greatest source of excitement.

She described the discipline as something of a personal passion project because she believes it still offers significant room for improvement.

Unlike slalom, where she has already achieved extraordinary consistency, super-G presents fresh technical and mental challenges that continue to stimulate her curiosity.

To become even stronger in the event, she believes she needs greater exposure to high-speed racing and additional experience using longer skis in demanding conditions.

She hopes repeated practice will help her mind process terrain, gates and changing snow conditions more naturally at higher speeds.

Growth Extends Beyond the Snow

Shiffrin also reflected on how personal growth often occurs away from competition.

She explained that recent experiences outside skiing have helped broaden her perspective while encouraging her to become more comfortable in unfamiliar situations.

One topic she has spent considerable time thinking about is the idea of stepping outside her comfort zone.

Although skiing remains her profession, many of the activities surrounding elite sport require very different skills.

Developing confidence in those environments has become another important part of her personal development.

Busy Off-Season Included Major Public Appearances

Following the conclusion of the World Cup season, Shiffrin experienced an extremely busy schedule away from the mountains.

She spent an intense week in New York City participating in numerous events, including live podcast recordings, collaborations with Rivian Performance House, appearances at the ESPYs, Fanatics Fest, the Time100 Sports Gala and attendance at a FIFA World Cup match.

As someone who naturally considers herself an introvert, she admitted that many of those public engagements push her well outside her comfort zone.

Activities such as walking red carpets, posing for photographs and making conversation with large numbers of people do not come naturally to her.

Nevertheless, she believes those experiences continue helping her grow personally.

Demanding Training Schedule Continues

After completing her media commitments, Shiffrin quickly returned to preparing for another World Cup campaign.

Equipment testing formed the first part of her off-season before she began an intensive strength and conditioning programme throughout June and July.

Many training days involve two sessions, highlighting the physical commitment required to remain at the top of alpine skiing.

Even while travelling, she plans accommodation around access to suitable gyms equipped with everything necessary for her preparation.

Her next stage involves travelling to the Southern Hemisphere for on-snow training camps before moving to Europe later in the year to complete preparations for the new World Cup season.

Wedding Plans Remain on Hold

Shiffrin also shared an honest update regarding her engagement to Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.

The couple’s demanding schedules mean they spend surprisingly little time together despite sharing the same profession.

She estimated that she spends only around five weeks each year at her home in Edwards, Colorado, while enjoying roughly the same amount of time annually with Kilde.

Because both athletes spend so much of the year travelling, training and competing, finding time to organise a wedding has proved almost impossible.

As a result, the couple have not yet begun planning their ceremony.

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, left, and Mikaela Shiffrin attend the Time100 Sports List at Pier Sixty Chelsea Piers on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in New York.
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP photo

However, Shiffrin made it clear that the situation does not concern her and that there is no pressure to rush the process.

Using Her Platform Beyond Skiing

Beyond racing, Shiffrin also discussed her desire to make a positive impact through the platform created by her success.

She hopes greater visibility can help increase worldwide awareness of alpine skiing while encouraging more people to experience snow sports.

She also values opportunities to speak openly about issues including grief, post-traumatic stress disorder, mental health, improving access to sport, cancer research and climate change.

Perhaps most importantly, she said hearing from people who have been helped by those conversations provides enormous meaning.

Knowing her experiences have made others feel understood or less isolated reinforces her belief that success can be measured by far more than medals and victories alone.