Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Mikaela Shiffrin
Skier Mikaela Shiffrin, 20, born and raised in Colorado, is already an Olympic gold medalist and the youngest slalom champion in Olympic alpine skiing history. "I travel mostly for skiing and feel so lucky to get to do that," she says. "In Europe, I will have a couple days off from training and my mom and I will just kind of pick up and go to Salzburg or Innsbruck. It's fun to go into the city and enjoy the scenery. But sometimes when we have days off, I want to go out and be a tourist, but I also just want to sleep. I have to remind myself that no matter how much I want to go out and have fun, my job is to ski and race." Fans may follow Shiffrin on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mikaelashiffrin.
Q. What are some travel tips you'd like to share?
A. Don't eat from the mini bar! Get it at the store around the corner or bring it with you. I always travel with chocolate. I'm not supposed to eat a lot of sugar, but chocolate is my binge food. It's one of those things that make me feel better.
Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?
A. The first was either to Maui or to Disneyland when I was maybe two or three years old. I remember being scared to get on this little submarine. I thought I was going to fall through the crack and the platform. I also remember being scared of Mickey Mouse! But a year later, I was obsessed with Mickey Mouse. (Laughs!)
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
A. Maui. We used to go there every year until I was 8. It was a family vacation and my parents would windsurf and we learned to windsurf, too. We'd go for about two weeks each time. I didn't know how lucky I was. I realize it now, of course. I try to get back there every year, but things come up.
Q. Do you like to travel to cold or warm weather spots?
A. I'm a summer sports fan, so warm weather. I love to play tennis and soccer. They're my two other favorite sports. I never played tennis competitively, but my mom was really good and she taught me how to play. I love to watch tennis, too. But I love sports in general. Part of me says that if I wasn't a ski racer, maybe I'd have been a soccer player. Soccer is fun, but skiing is my job.
Q. Where's the most memorable place you've competed?
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