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"Just Go Be With Aleks": Mikaela Shiffrin on Retirement Pressure | WTP Ep. 1

Mikaela Shiffrin

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The first episode of What’s the Point with Mikaela Shiffrin presented by Stifel is officially here, and Mikaela starts things off with her fiancé and fellow ski champion Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. Mikaela introduces the show’s focus on uncovering the “why” behind world-class performance.

Aleksander joins from rehab after a life-threatening crash in the Lauberhorn downhill in Wengen, Switzerland in January 2024. Together, they open up about his comeback journey, the mental side of injury recovery, and finding purpose when results no longer define success.

From honest conversations about fear and resilience to lighthearted moments about brown cheese, Oakley parties, Atomic media days, and their long-distance relationship, this episode is heartfelt, funny, and full of perspective. It offers a glimpse behind the medals into what truly keeps two of the world’s best skiers going.

Presented by STIFEL
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Follow What's the Point with Mikaela Shiffrin on Social Media for all the best moments from the show: Instagram: wtpwithmikaela

Download the full podcast here:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pVXLyM...
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

More about Aleksander:
Instagram: akilde

Aleksander's Spotify Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i...

Chapters
00:00 - Intro and Welcome to What’s the Point
00:51 - Mikaela Introduces Aleksander and the Show’s Mission
03:15 - “Faster.Always” Rapid Fire, Presented by ATOMIC
10:30 - Talking Legacy and Defining Purpose
14:00 - Aleksander’s Injury Update and Motivation to Return
23:00 - The Crash, Infection, and Mental Battle of Recovery
35:00 - Building Strength, Preventing Injuries, and Advice for Young Athletes
40:00 - Fear, PTSD, and Managing Anxiety After Trauma
51:00 - Learning From Setbacks and Staying Accountable
58:00 - Long Distance Love: Balancing Careers and Life Together
1:04:00 - Oakley’s 50th Anniversary and Inspiring the Next Generation
1:07:30 - The Story of How They Met (and the “Non-Date” at Atomic)
1:18:00 - Mikaela on Team Camaraderie and Olympic Mindset
1:20:30 - Sushi, Gratitude, and the Playful Sign-Off

#mikaelashiffrin #aleksanderaamodtkilde #relationship #whatsthepoint

20 Comments

@Sbcongf 11 months ago

Kilde attacks every downhill run as if it were his last — that kind of passion is genuinely inspiring.

@TheObserverA 11 months ago

What an amazing world where we can have such a real and intimate look into the lives of skiing’s greatest power couple! Thanks for sharing your truth and reminding us all, especially the younger ones, that we’re all human.

@Beansandflapjacks 10 months ago (edited)

This is my royal wedding couple! Girl you are an icon for everything you’ve accomplished!! And rooting for a strong recovery for kilde!

@harrygrey1625 11 months ago

Thanks so much for welcoming us into a portion of your world. I so appreciate just to see you as “ plain people.” Your candid conversation and willingness to review topics that can be challenging is appreciated. Ski well and we will look forward to seeing you both compete. 💪🏻💪🏻

@kittyittykat 11 months ago

The fact that you had two different recordings makes it possible for us to see how Aleks has advanced in his recovery. Wishing him all the best and wishing you, Mika, a great Olympic season! Will be sat for the next episode!

@bartcordell3720 11 months ago

The world turns better when you are together ❤️

@rebeccajarnold 7 months ago

"Lifting babies, lifting children..." the look between them, so cute! :)

@albanybrian 10 months ago

I am not a professional athlete, but I have used my desire to ski as a strong motivation when I have needed to recover from injuries, 6 knee surgeries, including total knee replacement, 2 shoulder surgeries, and three broken vertebrae. I always want to be out on the slopes skiing every winter, when something happens, that desire is the driver to put in the work to get back. You both know this very well from your own experiences. Having the desire to get back to something is a foundational part of the motivation to put in the necessary work to get back to what we love to do, whether its skiing or something else, in my opinion. Glad to see you two exploring this as part of your discussion. Looking forward to more of your athlete conversations and best to both of you.

@robinwhitelaw2986 11 months ago

Truly admire u both as skiers and humans.

@donnagilio8938 10 months ago

OMG, how cute are YOU two together!!!

@terimcgann2408 11 months ago

Congratulations on your first podcast! Well done! Thoroughly enjoyed it

@MikeSimonsen-Compass 11 months ago

Man, I want to see a snapshot of Mikaela's Google calendar training schedule

@charlesschwartz307 9 months ago

You two make a really nice couple…kind of goofy and funny, which is terrific.

@BrynjarGunnarskog-er2zv 11 months ago

Impressive and really, really good for mental health and the understanding of trauma impact. From a norwegian psychologist, thank you, everybody should listen to and learn from your podcast ❤️👏👏

@robertwatkins-gr8xd 7 months ago

Loved this! Two best lines: “We’re independent together” (credit Rudolph and Hermie); and Breezy’s “This sport can really be fun if you let it!” Thanks for being so transparent! You are such an inspiration in so many ways.

@stevecrombie5357 11 months ago

You always remember your first. Great job during the Atomic section gently working Alek through that part of the podcast. The love on your face and in your mannerisms was wonderful. Historians write the legacies, we live our lives. Thank you to Alek for sharing your journey with us. Good luck with this project Mikaela. Stay safe. ❤🙏

@hattiem.7966 9 months ago

He did well at Copper Mntn the other day.I bet they'll open a ski school someday in Vail.

@MikeCSims 10 months ago

That was fun, insighful, loving and very charming. You really are a delightful couple. At the age of 79 the ski racing days of my 20s are now catching up with me but your comments about racing injury recovery and setbacks encourages me to still fight the osteoarthritis.