Ski superstar Mikaela Shiffrin. © APA/afp / JURE MAKOVEC

Mikaela Shiffrin: Terrible diagnosis for her mother

After the end of a memorable season, Mikaela Shiffrin gives deep insights – and talks about a tragic event that has befallen her in recent months.

April 07, 2026

From: det

On February 18th, Mikaela Shiffrin proved everyone wrong. In the final Olympic race in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the slalom, the 110-time World Cup winner finally won her long-awaited medal, a gold one at that. With this victory, the greatest female skier of all time ended a long Olympic drought; her last medal at the Winter Games dated back to February 2018.

However, it wasn't just the immense pressure that Shiffrin had to cope with. As she now says in her podcast... What's the point She revealed that the 31-year-old was also going through a difficult time in her personal life at the time. Her mother, Eileen, was diagnosed with cancer before the Olympic season.

Eileen Shiffrin is not only Mikaela's mother, but also her constant companion on the ski circuit. © AFP / JURE MAKOVEC

Many colleagues in the ski world noticed Eileen's absence, according to Mikaela. No wonder, since the 66-year-old has always been by her daughter's side, accompanying her everywhere as coach, logistics planner, and all-around helper. While the Shiffrins remained tight-lipped during the season, they have now revealed the reason for Eileen's absence.

Radiation and chemotherapy

Last fall, Eileen was diagnosed with a tumor during a routine check-up. Shiffrin's mother subsequently had to undergo several weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. This Olympic season, therefore, presented her with entirely new challenges on top of the athletic hurdles. "You've taken care of me your whole life, now you had to take care of your own body," Mikaela Shiffrin said on the podcast.

"Take advantage of your preventative health check-ups." Eileen Shiffrin

The Shiffrin family kept this cancer diagnosis out of the public eye for a long time, but now they are going public. The reason: "I cannot stress enough how important it is to be aware of the importance of getting mammograms and colonoscopies, of taking advantage of preventative care," says Eileen Shiffrin. Her tumor was discovered during a routine colonoscopy, an appointment she almost missed due to the stress of the Olympics.