This was probably the most difficult column I’ve written since I wrote about Gabe Grunewald last summer.
I have followed Mikaela Shiffrin’s career since she made her first World Cup podium as a 16 year-old in 2011. Until this month, I had nothing in common with the decorated professional skier and two-time Olympian. I wish we did not share such a tremendous loss in common, and my heart has been hurting for her and her family all month. I haven’t talked about it, much less written about it, until now.
The Medal Stand: Meeting each other in our pain
In between the blur that is district and state tournament coverage that requires most of my time this month, I have been hurting for an athlete and fellow human being I’ve never met.
Upon checking Instagram on Feb. 3, one of the first posts I saw was from U.S. alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin. She informed her followers that her father, Jeff, passed away that weekend at age 65, and to please respect her family’s privacy as they grieve. Reading it shattered me. My first thought was, ‘Mikaela is a little more than a month away from turning 25 and just lost her dad. I was a little more than a month away from turning 25 when I lost my dad.’ Her dad was also almost the same age mine was when he died. My dad, Carl Edward ‘Eddie’ Hereford, died at age 66 in December 2013.
I feel a stab in my heart every time I hear of someone losing their father, and I unfortunately have too many close friends and classmates to name who have suffered the same loss as me. But never before have I been genuinely heartbroken for someone in the public eye like I have been for Mikaela these last three weeks.
The outpouring of condolences to the Shiffrins has also moved me immensely. Mikaela has posted three more times to Instagram since the initial post about Jeff’s death, and numerous professional athletes–not just skiers–have left comments. Beyond that, the love and support from the worldwide ski community has been astounding.
She has not competed since Jan. 26. On Feb. 16 at the World Cup slalom in Slovakia, Slovakian skier Petra Vlhova’s fans held up a large homemade sign adorned with the U.S. and Slovakian flags and the words We Miss You Mikaela. This past weekend after Italy’s Federica Brignone won alpine combined and super G in Crans Montana, Switzerland, a journalist asked how she felt about being the new favorite for the women’s alpine overall crystal globe due to leading Mikaela by 73 World Cup points in the overall standings. U.S. Ski and Snowboard shared Brignone’s response: “I want Mikaela Shiffrin back. I really do hope she will return soon for herself so she can do again what she loves most.” That is the epitome of class, and I am not surprised at all. Mikaela has carried herself so well since making her first World Cup podium at 16 years old, always congratulating the skiers who made the podium regardless of how she did and always giving credit where credit is due. It is only fitting that her fellow skiers are treating her with as much class, respect and kindness as she has given them in her career.
I, too, hope Mikaela comes back, but on her own terms and not out of obligation. I have been running since I was 14, but the first three months after my dad died, the last thing I wanted to do was run. Every time I tried to, I’d cry because it reminded me that I would never run with my dad again. I could physically put one foot in front of the other, but my heart was not in it. I went on walks instead or I stayed home. Something snapped after three months, however, and I ran my first true workout since the week of his funeral. It felt more therapeutic than any other run of my life up to that point. It occurred to me that running could be an escape for me as well as a way of honoring my dad’s memory. I feel connected to him when I run, and sometimes, I can still hear his voice in my head coaching me.
Having experienced that same loss almost seven years ago at the exact same age, I hurt for Mikaela knowing what she’s feeling right now and the difficult days to come. Her birthday will not feel the same, holidays will be brutal (especially Father’s Day), certain songs and certain smells will bring tears to her eyes and seeing fathers hug their daughters will always be tough. I still have to fight back tears when I’m out covering a girls game, race or event and I see the athletes run into their dad’s arms afterwards. I hope when she does come back that skiing will be for Mikaela what running has been for me since I lost my dad–an escape and a source of peace, strength and joy. And I hope she is embraced with as much love, support and strength from the skiing community as I have received from the running community.
Much love to the Shiffrins.
Eastern Idaho athletes
Victor’s Breezy Johnson had a top-five finish last Friday, finishing fifth in downhill at the World Cup stop in Crans Montana, Switzerland. She finished the weekend in Switzerland with 19th place in alpine combined and 15th in super G. She is now 38th in the FIS women’s alpine overall standings with 161 World Cup points, 20th in women’s downhill with 136 points, 41st in super G with 13 points and 30th in alpine combined with 12 points.
Johnson’s 2018 U.S. Olympic teammate Jaelin Kauf placed 16th in moguls on Saturday in Tazawako, Japan. Originally from Teton Valley and now residing in Park City, Kauf is now sixth in the FIS women’s moguls standings with 310 World Cup points.
Coming up locally
Grand Targhee Resort has two events this weekend. An International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association College Freeskiing Competition is Saturday on the north side of Peaked. Also Saturday is the next Targhee Cup race for the Adult Race League. Proceeds benefit the Teton Valley Ski Education Foundation.
The annual Dick’s Ditch Banked Slalom takes place Friday through Sunday at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Saturday is the qualifier for Sunday’s final.
Team USA Update
The U.S. Olympic Trials for marathon are Saturday in Atlanta. The men’s race begins at 10:08 a.m. Mountain Time and the women’s race begins at 10:20 a.m. Boise’s Emma Bates, who made her marathon debut in October with a fourth place overall finish in 2:25:27, is among those competing. Des Linden is the lone returning 2016 Olympian in women’s marathon while Galen Rupp and Jared Ward both return for the men.
Jade Carey won vault and floor exercise and Stephen Nedoroscik won pommel horse at the FIG World Cup over the weekend in Melbourne, Australia. Also this weekend in Las Vegas, Sam Mikulak won men’s all-around at the Winter Cup Challenge. The next U.S. women’s national training camp takes place this weekend in Indianapolis.
U.S. Paralympic alpine skier Laurie Stephens had quite the medal haul at the fourth stop of the para alpine World Cup season in Sakhalin, Russia. Within a nine-day stretch that ended last Thursday, Stephens won three gold medals in downhill, two gold medals in Super G, one gold in giant slalom and one silver in women’s parallel.