Mikaela Shiffrin may be the most decorated female alpine skier of all time, but that doesn't mean she's all about the sport. The three-time Olympic gold medalist made that clear after the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Shiffrin's popularity reached new heights during the recent Winter Games, where she won her third Olympic gold. The Colorado native topped the slalom final, an event that she also won during her Winter Olympics debut in 2014.
According to the Olympics, Shiffrin was just the second athlete after Switzerland's Vreni Schneider to win multiple Olympic slalom titles in history.
Before her win, though, one move that helped Shiffrin was her decision to largely stay off social media — specifically avoiding comments about herself and sport-related content. She was only active on Instagram, but for a reason that helped her relax.
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"I have been so invested in DIY home hacks and organizational content," Shiffrin admitted to Women's Health Mag, highlighting her big interest in the subject. "My entire For You Page, there was no sports, there was nothing except for DIY home organization hacks and closet cleaning.
She added, "It was so soothing, I was in heaven. So I'd go on Instagram and I'd immediately like, don't look at anything, I'd close my eyes and hover my finger over the button and click the For You Page as soon as it came up. And then I'd be like, 'Now I'm peaceful.'"
It's worth noting that Shiffrin also competed in two other events before the slalom. She missed out on a podium finish in the alpine skiing women's team combined event with Breezy Johnson and placed 11th in the women's giant slalom competition.
According to Women's Health Mag, Shiffrin avoided using social media "almost entirely" before the slalom final in Cortina. Clearly, that proved to be a good decision.
Shiffrin's other interest outside skiing is quite unexpected. But at the end of the day, it gave her the peace of mind she needed to deliver when it mattered most.
Furthermore, it just goes to show that Shiffrin is just like anyone else who has other hobbies outside their professions.