Mikaela Shiffrin talks about how talking to a Slovakian champion gave her the idea for her off-field project

Mikaela Shiffrin said that talking to Petra Vlhová, a Slovakian skiing champion, gave her the idea to start doing things outside of skiing. The American just started her own YouTube podcast, where she talks about things other than skiing. She puts out new episodes every two weeks.

She started her World Cup season on Saturday, October 25, at Soelden, Austria, where she finished fourth in the giant slalom event, just missing the podium.

What Did Mikaela Shiffrin Say About the Talk That Led to Her Podcast?

Shiffrin, who has won the most World Cups ever with 101 wins, talked about how her podcast got started on its official Instagram page. The former Olympic champion talked about how a passionate conversation with Vlhová last year became the “driving force” behind her choice to tell stories outside of skiing.

Her revelation came after Vlhová uploaded a picture of herself with the words “My happy place” and an update on going back to the slopes. In response, Shiffrin shared the news on her podcast’s Instagram Story and wrote:

“Just a second to enjoy this… I’m so pleased to see @petravlhova13 back in her happy place! If you didn’t know, a talk with Petra last year was what made this show happen. Go, Petra! We’re rooting for you! ❤️💪🏻

Screenshot of Mikaela Shiffrin’s Podcast’s IG story. Credits- wtpwithmikaela

Vlhova, who won the Olympic gold medal in slalom in 2022, crashed during the giant slalom World Cup race in Jasná in January 2024. She needed surgery to fix her right ACL and meniscus. She wanted to come back before the conclusion of last season, but she had to have a second surgery to fix ongoing pain and cartilage problems.

Last season, Shiffrin crashed during a giant slalom event in Vermont on November 30, but she came back stronger than ever and went on to win more than 100 World Cup races.

Shiffrin Talks About Her Off-Season and How Her Summer Went

The American skier thought about how she spent her summer and said that she did a lot of hard physical training and was happy with how ready she was overall. She also liked spending time with her family and fiancé, Aleksander Kilde, when she went to Norway to see him and his family.

She called her summer “busy” in an interview with FIS before the start of the season:

“This summer of training has been good and productive for me.” I feel like I’ve gotten a lot stronger since last season, especially in my core. I’ve gotten stronger, traveled a lot, gone to some fun events, and spent a lot of time with my family. I too had a terrific time in Norway with Alex and his family last summer. “I’ve been busy, but it’s been good,” Shiffrin said.

The two-time Olympic winner also said she was feeling ambivalent about the next season. When asked if she was ready, she said she wasn’t quite ready for the race yet, but she thought she was getting closer to her peak.