SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson have shared a connection since childhood, having been roommates at a junior race when they were just 11 years old. According to Shiffrin, they both felt out of place in a world where young girls weren’t expected to be as ambitious as they were.
Now 29, Shiffrin has cemented her status as the greatest ski racer of all time, while Johnson, until recently, had struggled to reach her full potential. Given Shiffrin’s remarkable career, one might assume she would take on the leadership role when they teamed up for the new team combined event at the world championships. However, the dynamic was quite the opposite.
Johnson, fresh off an unexpected gold medal in downhill, became the motivator. Meanwhile, Shiffrin was hesitant to compete, still grappling with lingering fears from a terrifying crash in Killington, Vermont, last November. The accident had left her with a deep puncture wound in her abdomen, and she described her struggles as “PTSD-esque.”
It was Johnson who convinced her longtime friend to race, reminding Shiffrin of the joy in competition. “I haven’t felt like I wanted to be here,” Shiffrin admitted. “But hearing her talk about it like, ‘No, no, it’s fun,’ and seeing her fearlessly throw herself down the downhill course it really lifted me up to take on this day.”
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