Mikaela Shiffrin’s fiancé, Aleksander Kilde, has revealed what his mental health was like during the recovery process of the shoulder injury that he suffered during a downhill crash in Wengen last year. Kilde had been ruled out of competition since, and is finally set to make his comeback later this year.
The Norwegian has been preparing for his first race since last year alongside Shiffrin at La Parva in Chile.
What Did Mikaela Shiffrin’s Fiance Aleksander Kilde Reveal About His Recovery Process?
In a post shared on Instagram by the official Ski World Cup account, Kilde revealed that it was a struggle for him to stay strong mentally during the recovery process:
“I’ve been in the deepest darkest place in my life. You’re not only losing your job, you’re losing your purpose. I started missing the lifestyle, being with the team and racing. It’s been like a rollercoaster, I’ve had good days, I’ve had bad days.”
Kilde aims to compete in the World Cup downhill event at Beaver Creek in December. He added by stating the importance of starting right:
“The ideal winter is to be able to start right. To be competitive off the bat would be amazing, but it’s hard to have a concrete answer on that. If I have the speed, if I can handle the load, if I’m ready to go full gas. I need to try first, figure out where I am, and as soon as I have a good feeling, I can start pushing. Hopefully, I’m fast; you never know. Being fast is, for sure, the cherry on the cake.
Kilde previously stated that Shiffrin played a significant role in supporting him throughout this journey. The couple has been engaged since April 2024.
Shiffrin Reveals How She and Kilde Felt After They Both Suffered Major Injuries
Shiffrin recently revealed that both she and Kilde have been in ‘survival mode’ since they both suffered major injuries in the past year. The American suffered a puncture wound to her abdomen during a crash at a World Cup race in Killington in November 2024.
In an interview with People Magazine, she said, “We both have been in survival mode for the last year and a half. Total survival mode.”
She revealed that last season was difficult for her because they both suffered injuries around the same period: “This season has been pretty hard in particular because of his injury, also because of mine. The time that we’ve been able to spend together hasn’t been super high quality.”
Shiffrin started her 2025/26 season in the giant slalom event at Sölden, Austria, where she narrowly missed out on the podium, finishing in 4th place.