Shiffrin faced PTSD in recovery from Killington crash
NEW YORK, May 30 (Reuters) - Twice Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder after a grisly crash during a giant slalom race in Killington, Vermont, in November left her with a puncture wound in her abdomen and severe muscle damage.
The American wrapped up her season in March with a record-extending 101st World Cup win but wrote in the Players' Tribune, opens new tab on Friday that the crash in Killington - and another suffered at the beginning of 2024 in Cortina - took a mental toll.
"Those two crashes maybe built on one another. I talked with my therapist about that, and she let me know that past trauma, or a history of traumatic events, can sometimes affect your reaction to new traumatic events," wrote Shiffrin, who lost her father suddenly in an accident in 2020.
"Maybe when I crashed and got that puncture wound, maybe that was kind of a perfect-storm situation for PTSD to take hold. But who knows, really. With all this stuff, there's just a ton of nuance, and so much that we don't know for certain."
Shiffrin, who is loved by American fans and praised by her fellow athletes for her upbeat attitude and resilience, said that getting back in the starting gate has helped the most in overcoming "the visions and the images I kept seeing."
She wrote that after putting in the work on her mental health, she felt like herself again.
"It was just continuing to get back up to the start gate. Just literally the process of going up the mountain and doing the thing I know how to do, again and again," wrote Shiffrin.
"I just needed to keep doing it. Needed to keep reminding myself — proving to myself, really — that the vast majority of times when I am training or racing … nothing terrible happens."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Americans warned not to eat invasive mussel species
An invasive species of mussels has found its way to Wyoming, but seafood enthusiasts are being warned to steer clear or risk dangerous consequences. More than 500,000 zebra mussels were discovered on a boat lift by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and, following swift and aggressive action to eradicate them, officials have warned Americans to avoid consuming them. In early May, aquatic invasive species specialists worked with the WGFD Casper office to rid more than half a million of the mussels off of a boat that had been at the Lewis and Clark Recreation Area in South Dakota, Cowboy State Daily reported. Specialist's scalded and killed the mussels with hot water and took every effort to ensure no zebra mussel DNA survived. The distinct looking mussel, with tan stripes, more closely biologically resembles that of a clam, but their functions remain similar. Zebra mussels are filter feeders, according to the National Park Service, and siphon particles of plankton from the water. Yet, their fast reproduction rates and insatiable appetite can cause harm to waters and its native species if infestation is not prevented. Zebra mussels of a large population can quickly eradicate almost all floating particles from a body of water, robbing food from species that feed on plankton and exposing prey in the clearer waters. Once an infestation occurs, there is little to be done, therefore officials focus heavily on preventative action to avoid infested waters. Cheyenne chef Petrina Peart told Cowboy State Daily: 'Zebra mussels can be cooked and consumed, but I don't think it'll be worth the potential digestive issues that may follow.' Their constant water filtration typically leads to their harboring a lot of harmful bacteria, which is true for all mussels. 'Freshwater mussels consume plankton and with it any toxins that are present in the water. They make for great water filtration but may not make for a great Amuse Bouche.' When cooking mussels, wine is often used to help kill off any harmful bacteria that may be present. 'Mussels have to be harvested from clean and uncontaminated waters and cooked thoroughly,' Peart said. 'Lots of butter, lemon and fresh herbs couldn't hurt, but there could still be potentially harmful bacteria. Wine is used in mussel recipes to help kill bacteria. It also happens to be delicious.' Some invasive mussel species infestations were solved through consumption, such as the green iguana species. 'The green iguana is an invasive species in the Cayman Islands,' Peart told the outlet. 'They have created dishes and cuisine around the efforts to eradicate destructive invasive iguana species by turning them into something mainstream.' And while the solution worked well, zebra mussels are also much smaller than green iguanas. The largest zebra mussel only reaches around two inches long at most. Peart can see how 'from a problem solving standpoint,' turning to consuming zebra mussels could help eradicate them, but doesn't necessarily think that means it's a good idea. 'I won't lie - I skipped the iguana soup while in the Cayman Islands, and I'll probably skip the zebra mussels too,' she said, with no plans to add them to her menu.
Times
36 minutes ago
- Times
Spanish GP: Oscar Piastri leads McLaren one-two as Max Verstappen sees red
Act now to keep your subscription We've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your subscription.
Daily Mail
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Horror as girl, nine, and her father found dead outside park in Georgia
A nine-year-old girl and her father were found dead inside a parked car at a Georgia park and investigators are looking into whether the father pulled the trigger. Emily Grace Mayo and her father, James Lee Mayo, 37, were found by police in a parked car at Brooklet City Park after reports of an 'unresponsive child locked in a vehicle,' according to the Georgia Bureau Of Investigation. Officers with the Brooklet Police Department responded to the scene at around 7am on Tuesday where they discovered 'a child dead in the backseat with an apparent gunshot wound'. Police then found James, with officials saying that 'a man was found dead in the front seat from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. A handgun was found on his lap'. An investigation into the deaths is now underway and autopsies are being performed on the bodies, according to the release. Authorities would not say if the same gun or bullets were used to kill both the father and his daughter. Preliminary evidence points to a murder-suicide, according to reports. No motive has been released. 'I keep thinking this is not real. This is not real life. This does not happen to people we know, especially not my own family. Not my Emily,' the girl's aunt, Amber Healy, wrote on Facebook. The statement added: 'Emily was nine and so full of life. To know her was to love her. She always had a smile , a hug, a laugh. If she met you, she loved you. It was instant. That all encompassing love.' Healy has since organized a GoFundMe aimed at raising money for her burial and funeral services. She also asked that people 'keep us all in your prayers as we navigate through this nightmare we cannot wake up from,' saying that Emily's mom is devastated to have to bury her little girl. 'No parent should have to make these decisions,' Healy wrote. The GoFundMe has raised over $30,000 as of Saturday evening.
