Mikaela Shiffrin (far right) was given a reindeer as part of her World Cup prize in Levi, Finland. The reindeer, which she named Rudolph, will stay in Levi where it thrives in the cold climate.
Eighteen-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin is one of the youngest members of the U.S. Ski Team. She is training and competing in preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Sochi, Russia. In early 2013, she became the youngest woman in almost 40 years to claim the season title in slalom. Slalom is the kind of alpine, or downhill, skiing that Mikaela specializes in. It involves skiing between poles. Mikaela is also the youngest slalom World Champion in U.S. history.
Mikaela was born on March 13, 1995, in Vail, Colorado. She first learned to ski in her driveway when she was only 2 years old. After moving to New Hampshire with her family in 2003, Mikaela worked with area coaches to improve her skiing skills. She first got international attention in 2010 when she won the slalom competition at Trofeo Topolino, Italy’s junior skiing event. She was the first American girl to win at the event since 1999.
In June 2013, Mikaela graduated from Burke Mountain Academy in East Burke, Vermont. BMA is a ski academy that teaches its students both academics and athletics. When she’s not busy skiing, Mikaela likes to play tennis and soccer. She also enjoys music, reading, and spending time at the beach.
In November, Mikaela came in first place at the World Cup slalom event in Levi, Finland. As part of her prize, she was given a reindeer, which she named Rudolph. After all of Mikaela’s victories this year, many believe that she has a great chance of winning gold in the Olympics. Some are even predicting that she will be one of the big stars of the 2014 games. Even though 2013 has been a great year for Mikaela, she still thinks that there is room for improvement. She believes that everyday there is something she can do better if she keeps working at it.
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