Eileen Shiffrin: Raising a Champion | WTP with Mikaela Ep. 10

Behind every great athlete is a village of talented people who make it all happen. But Mikaela has something most don't: Eileen. In Episode 10 of What's the Point, Mikaela sits down with the person who has been there for every single moment of her career — and her life. Her mom. Her coach. Her mentor. Her best friend. Eileen Shiffrin. It's easy to look at Mikaela's resume and see the medals, the records, and the Crystal Globes. What you don't see is the woman behind the scenes who gave up her career as a nurse to be on the road six months a year, who homeschooled Mikaela through the early Burke Mountain years, who was there for Mikaela's first World Cup, and every heartbreak since. In this episode, they get into all of it. The sacrifices and misunderstandings, including what it actually means to be on the road as a mother-daughter, coach-athlete duo (hint: it's not a European après-ski vacation). The grief of losing a father and a husband, Jeff, and how they've carried that together. The complicated line between pushing your kid and protecting them. And Eileen's own cancer diagnosis this past fall — a moment that, for the first time in this whole journey, asked her to put herself first. You know Mikaela. Now meet the woman who raised her to chase the impossible. Presented by STIFEL . . . Follow What's the Point with Mikaela Shiffrin on social media for all the best moments from the show:   / wtpwithmikaela   Download the Full Podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3HCl... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... More about Eileen:   / eileenshiffrin   Chapters: 0:00 Mikaela introduces the episode as the first post-Olympics recording and acknowledges STIFEL's support for U.S. Ski Team success 3:10 “Faster.Always” Rapid Fire, Presented by ATOMIC 8:00 Eileen's Upbringing and Athletic Foundation 14:10 Gender in Sports and Early Athletic Experiences 22:48 Childhood Creativity and Imagination 29:20 Introduction to Tennis and Skiing 33:15 Nana's Role and Family Foundation 38:14 Evolution of Mother-Daughter-Coach Relationship 48:11 Parenting Philosophy: Supporting vs. Pushing 1:11:19 When Motherhood Supersedes Coaching 1:15:25 Coaching Philosophy and Movement Analysis 1:25:16 Misconceptions About Eileen's Role 1:31:53 The "Eileen Factor" in Mikaela's Success 1:39:33 Dad's Teaching Philosophy and Windsurfing Lessons 1:44:35 Olympics as Catalyst for Growth 1:49:59 Working with a Sports Psychologist 1:55:36 Cortina Olympics Challenges and Successes 2:06:07 Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment 2:12:16 Supporting Someone Through Cancer 2:13:54 Life's Purpose and Caregiving Nature 2:17:57 Conclusion and Gratitude #MikaelaShiffrin #EileenShiffrin #skiing #ski #whatsthepoint #podcast