Remember that moment over 10 months ago when Mikaela Shiffrin’s fiancé, Aleksander Kilde, suffered a brutal fall in Switzerland? It happened on the treacherous 4.2 km Lauberhorn course, renowned for testing even the most resilient ski warriors. Kilde, the Norwegian speedster, was powering through the final stretch, skillfully navigating the unforgiving twists and turns. Then, out of nowhere, disaster struck—he lost control on the last bend, was launched into the air, and crashed hard into the safety nets near the finish line.

Afterward, the tough news arrived. Kilde, the two-time Olympic medalist, 21-time World Cup race winner, and holder of the 2019-20 overall title, announced he wouldn’t be returning to the slopes this season. The 32-year-old skier shared the heartbreaking update with fans in an emotional Instagram post, breaking his silence on the challenges of recovery. It’s undoubtedly a huge blow, but Kilde remains resilient, focusing on the road ahead. Now, he’s preparing to share his inspiring recovery journey with the world!

On November 24th, Mikaela Shiffrin’s fiance posted a snap of himself on his Instagram story, sharing a motivational tune in the background and a caption that teased, “Stay tuned for Kilde.unscripted, the mindset series,” with a countdown clock ticking down 5 days and over 20 hours. Before that, he had shared a reflection from Marco Büchel, the former alpine ski racer turned commentator, who admitted he was “kind of shocked” by Aleksander’s crash, adding, “I was not used to Aleks crashing like that. And the second thought was, he is going to get up, but he didn’t…”

But Aleksander wasn’t backing down from the challenge. When asked about his recovery, he shared his burning desire: “My goal is to be back skiing, I want to be back being competitive, being capable of winning.” Marco, reflecting on the mental side of things, pointed out, “When you have a crash like that, you have to have a right mindset to come back. He is always been focused and motivated. And he is a typical Viking.” A strong, unyielding mindset is exactly what he’s going to need on this journey.

When the news hit that Aleksander Kilde wouldn’t be skiing this season, it came with a lot more weight than anyone expected. He opened up about the emotional toll, revealing, “There was a big infection in my shoulder that had gone pretty far and I needed to undergo surgery for that. It was mentally tough, not just because it then takes longer for me to go back skiing,” he shared. “But also I was asking myself: ‘Am I going to be able to really use my shoulder ever again?’” Those words carried the weight of not just a physical injury but a mental battle—one that goes beyond recovery and straight into the heart of his purpose as an athlete.

Kilde’s journey isn’t over yet, though. He shared more about the road ahead: “Two of the muscles are still not attached at this moment, which means I need to do another surgery and reconstruct everything again.” The tough reality of having to start over, piece by piece, is something he faces with grit. But through it all, there was one unwavering constant by Aleksander’s side—Mikaela Shiffrin.

Mikaela Shiffrin stands with her fiance!

Yes! You heard it right! After his crash in Wengen, Switzerland, on January 13, Aleksander was quick to update his fans, sharing a couple of photos from his hospital bed. Is the person behind the camera capturing those intimate moments? None other than Mikaela Shiffrin. In his post, the Team Norway member wrote, “I’m here (and being taken care of by the one and only @mikaelashiffrin)… Patched up,” giving fans a glimpse of the unwavering support he was receiving during such a difficult time.

Despite her own packed World Cup schedule, the skiing superstar with 97 race victories dropped everything to be by Aleksander’s side. She not only rushed to him in Switzerland but also stood by him as he began his recovery.

Even after Mikaela suffered a similar crash in Italy a month later, dealing with knee joint and MCL injuries, she continued to monitor Kilde’s progress while healing herself. By March 2024, Shiffrin commented on the long recovery road ahead for her fiancé, but Aleksander’s message was clear: “Trust me – I’ll be back.”