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Published Jul 19, 2023

Greatest Skier Exposes Mental Barriers To Success | Mikaela Shiffrin

Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin reveals how she navigates mental barriers to success, discussing her mindset, mental toughness, and the crucial support from coaching that drive her skiing career.
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Episode Highlights

  • Challenging Labels

    Mikaela Shiffrin shares her discomfort with being labeled the 'greatest of all time' and her views on what constitutes true greatness. She explains that while she appreciates being part of the conversation, she struggles with the GOAT term as it implies there's only one, whereas she believes there are many greats in sports. Mikaela finds greatness in moments that give you shivers down your spine, like experiencing or watching something truly inspiring 1 2.

    I hope it's part of the conversation that two American women are at the top of a conversation for greatest of all time. That's really cool for American ski racing, for our sport, for lifting the sport up in the US.

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    She emphasizes the importance of being part of the conversation rather than owning the title, highlighting the beauty of sports debates 1.

       

    Olympic Dreams

    Mikaela Shiffrin reflects on her childhood dreams of the Olympics and how her goals evolved over time. Initially, she dreamt of being the youngest Olympic gold medalist, but her primary goal was always to be the best skier in the world. Inspired by her idol Bodhi Miller, she focused on becoming a top ski racer rather than just an Olympic champion 3.

    My goal was always, I want to be the best skier in the world. I always looked up to Bodhi Miller as my big idol.

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    Watching Miller's journey, including his successes and challenges, helped shape her own philosophy and approach to skiing 3.

       

    Mindset Over Medals

    Mikaela Shiffrin emphasizes the importance of focusing on the process and mindset rather than just the accolades. She believes that experiencing fulfillment in the moment is more important than winning medals. Mikaela explains that thinking about winning often leads to failure, whereas focusing on the intensity of her skiing and the course itself leads to success 4.

    The process of getting to the finish is what allows you to win the race. And that's where my mindset has to be.

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    Her philosophy is centered on making good turns and enjoying the process, which she finds more fulfilling than the pressure of winning 4.

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