Mikaela Shiffrin

[SimonDoom]

I know it doesn't have anything to do with erotic stories, but I find stories like this about extraordinary achievements inspiring for whatever it is I'm trying to do. Mikaela Shiffrin, at the age of only 27, just won her 87th World Cup ski title, making her the winningest alpine skier, male or female, of all time. She passed the previous record of the great Ingemar Stenmark. It's an amazing athletic achievement. Success in a ski race is affected by so many changing factors, like weather and snow conditions, not to mention the high risk of injury, so it's a difficult sport to dominate on a consistent basis. But she's done it. And she's won in all the different ski disciplines, too. She has a fair claim to being the greatest skier in world history, and she's far from done.

These stories are good reminders about what we can achieve if we put our minds to it.

 

[PastMaster]

winningest

Wow - i didnt even know that was a word. - so as well as being totally impressed by the achievement of Mikaela Shiffrin, I also learned something. Win-Win.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Those remarkable achievements in sports require exceptional talent and an incredibly devoted mind. She has undoubtedly invested a lifetime of devoted practice for this exceptional sports achievement.
I must admit that I am probably one of few people who is almost completely indifferent to such achievements. Somewhere out there is a person who can, let's say, weave more baskets than anyone else in the world. I fail to see how that is any less of an achievement than this, yet no one is celebrating it, even if that ability is clearly more useful to the community. I suppose the fact that huge sportswear companies are not making a lot of money on basket weaving is one of the reasons

 

[lovecraft68]

That's just complete boss mode right there. Looked her up, pretty girl as well.

Hopefully someone's warned her to stay away from that piece of shit Tiger Woods.

 

[SimonDoom]

Those remarkable achievements in sports require exceptional talent and an incredibly devoted mind. She has undoubtedly invested a lifetime of devoted practice for this exceptional sports achievement.
I must admit that I am probably one of few people who is almost completely indifferent to such achievements. Somewhere out there is a person who can, let's say, weave more baskets than anyone else in the world. I fail to see how that is any less of an achievement than this, yet no one is celebrating it, even if that ability is clearly more useful to the community. I suppose the fact that huge sportswear companies are not making a lot of money on basket weaving is one of the reasons

Some people don't care much about athletic achievements--who can run the fastest, or jump the highest, or lift the most weight. I can understand how to some people it might not be important. But obviously for much of humanity for much of its history there's something about it that's compelling. I think it's thrilling to watch someone racing down a mountain on skis, but I can imagine it might seem uninteresting to some. I think of sports as like art in the sense that while it's not strictly necessary for humanity it enriches life and makes it more interesting. Shiffrin is like an artist, and she's the best there is.

 

[PastMaster]

I also liked the German former Alpine Skier Fanny Chmelar - but I guess her name had a lot to do with that.

 

[Handley_Page]

She sure can shift:-
.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

Mikaela Shiffrin is the GOAT !

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Some people don't care much about athletic achievements--who can run the fastest, or jump the highest, or lift the most weight. I can understand how to some people it might not be important. But obviously for much of humanity for much of its history there's something about it that's compelling. I think it's thrilling to watch someone racing down a mountain on skis, but I can imagine it might seem uninteresting to some. I think of sports as like art in the sense that while it's not strictly necessary for humanity it enriches life and makes it more interesting. Shiffrin is like an artist, and she's the best there is.

I don't deny what you are saying, but its the worship and elevation to hero or even deity status what irks me with how humanity sees exceptional sportsmen and sportswomen. Not to mention the whole bullshit industry built around it and the insane amounts of money those sportsmen get for those same achievements.
To paraphrase Nietzsche, creators of new thoughts and values are making the world turn, but they remain in the shadows most of the time without much recognition, fame and especially without much financial gain. Actors are those that make people turn and they get all the laurels and glories.
Ask yourself this simple thing, for example:
Name five movies that truly moved you. Now tell me, without looking up, the directors, screenwriters and composers of those exceptional movies? You might know the directors, but I bet the rest will be completely anonymous to you, even if those people are exactly the ones who made the movie so great.
You will, of course, know the actors of each of those movies, and they did contribute to it for sure with their performances, but not nearly as much as those exceptional individuals that created the story, the characters, the plot, the scenes, the artistic and other messages it contains and so on... On top of that, you are hardly an average person when it comes to intellect. An average person knows the actors and ties the movie greatness to those same actors. I've heard it a million times in different conversations.
It is the way of the world I know, and I am pissing against the wind, but sometimes I feel I need to say these things out loud, even though most people find me annoying when I voice them

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

I had the pleasure of doing a run down the streif course in kitzbuhel when it was still set up after a local downhill event. These fis world cup courses are no joke. It was terrifying. The runs are way, way steeper than they look on TV. So much respect for world cup skiers (and snowboarders).

 

[PastMaster]

I don't deny what you are saying, but its the worship and elevation to hero or even deity status what irks me with how humanity sees exceptional sportsmen and sportswomen. Not to mention the whole bullshit industry built around it and the insane amounts of money those sportsmen get for those same achievements.
To paraphrase Nietzsche, creators of new thoughts and values are making the world turn, but they remain in the shadows most of the time without much recognition, fame and especially without much financial gain. Actors are those that make people turn and they get all the laurels and glories.
Ask yourself this simple thing, for example:
Name five movies that truly moved you. Now tell me, without looking up, the directors, screenwriters and composers of those exceptional movies? You might know the directors, but I bet the rest will be completely anonymous to you, even if those people are exactly the ones who made the movie so great.
You will, of course, know the actors of each of those movies, and they did contribute to it for sure with their performances, but not nearly as much as those exceptional individuals that created the story, the characters, the plot, the scenes, the artistic and other messages it contains and so on... On top of that, you are hardly an average person when it comes to intellect. An average person knows the actors and ties the movie greatness to those same actors. I've heard it a million times in different conversations.
It is the way of the world I know, and I am pissing against the wind, but sometimes I feel I need to say these things out loud, even though most people find me annoying when I voice them

I agree largely with what you were saying. I gave up any idea of following football when I found out that David Beckham was being paid PER WEEK my budget for running a 32 bed surgical ward on the NHS for A YEAR.

However somewhat in support of this woman - she is not just delivering a product someone else created as actors do - she is the one that put all the hours training in all the dedication all the getting up in the early hours and forsaking things that she might otherwise like to have done. It took grit determination and tenacity to get that good, and she should be rewarded for it. I know she'll have a team behind her but hers is a far more 'individual' effort than most.

Good luck to her. and well done.

 

[SimonDoom]

I had the pleasure of doing a run down the streif course in kitzbuhel when it was still set up after a local downhill event. These fis world cup courses are no joke. It was terrifying. The runs are way, way steeper than they look on TV. So much respect for world cup skiers (and snowboarders).

That must have been amazing. I'm an OK skier but I've never raced. I know how much steeper a ski slope looks when you are actually on it than it does on TV. I can't imagine what that must be like.

They risk injury all the time. Lindsey Vonn subjected her body to terrific punishment before she finally retired because it was too much.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I agree largely with what you were saying. I gave up any idea of following football when I found out that David Beckham was being paid PER WEEK my budget for running a 32 bed surgical ward on the NHS for A YEAR.

However somewhat in support of this woman - she is not just delivering a product someone else created as actors do - she is the one that put all the hours training in all the dedication all the getting up in the early hours and forsaking things that she might otherwise like to have done. It took grit determination and tenacity to get that good, and she should be rewarded for it. I know she'll have a team behind her but hers is a far more 'individual' effort than most.

Good luck to her. and well done.

And Beckham didn't put work and grit?

She put it for her own enjoyment and pursuing her own dreams. Her parents likely made sacrifices to make it happen. How exactly did those achievements benefit humanity?
You are also kind of dismissing the talent and work needed for an actor to deliver a great performance. The whole concept is ludicrous when analyzed rationally, yet people hang on to their ideas that these 'achievements' need to be remembered, worshipped and rewarded lavishly. Anyway, I am kind of ruining Simon's thread, I should stop.

 

[PastMaster]

How exactly did those achievements benefit humanity?

I hear what you're saying. But in answer to this particular thread there are some benefits to humanity coming out here.
Lots of technology such as ski technology, and medical breakthroughs from treating sports injuries to clothing technolog do actually come from events like this. It's a drop in the bucket - but at least it's not nothing.
And no -beckham just looked pretty and kicked a ball around for 90 minutes every other week. he spent longer brushing his hair than training most weeks.

(I know that is grossly unfair and Beckham did actually put in a lot of hours training, but he got well paid for it. Far Better paid than our skiiing heroine here.)

 

[ramoredrake]

she's not only an amazing athlete, but in interviews, she is charming, gracious, and HILARIOUS. But, alas, Lindsay Vonn still holds my heart as the GOAT for sheer guts, fearlessness, and toughness.