On March 13, 1995, Mikaela was born to parents Eileen and Jeff, who were both skiers too. Eileen competed in many racing events and Jeff, who died in February 2020 after an accident, also loved the sport.

Mikaela started skiing at a young age, both in the Rocky mountains and in Vermont. When she was just 14, she won both the slalom and giant slalom at the Topolino Games in Italy, against skiers from 40 nations.

Mikaela made her Olympic debut at the 2014 Games in Sochi, winning the gold in the slalom. She was the youngest woman to ever do so. During the 2018 PyeongChang Games, Mikaela won two medals – the gold in the giant slalom and silver in the super-combined

While Mikaela earns $500,000 a year from skiing, she rakes in much more from her endorsements. The alpine skier has brand deals with Land Rover, Longines, Adidas, and Barilla and is worth $12 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.

Mikaela first started dating fellow alpine skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, 33, in 2021. The two announced their engagement on April 4, 2024. Mikaela and Aleksander bond over their thrilling sport. 

In 2024, Mikaela sustained a deep puncture wound on the right side of her abdomen and suffered severe muscle trauma after crashing during the Alpine Ski World Cup. In January of that year, Aleksander went through a crash of his own.

“We both have been in survival mode for the last year and a half,” Mikaela told People in January. “Total survival mode.”

She continued: “It’s being able to relate to each other and help each other through those tough moments. He does that for me on a daily basis. It’s pretty special.”

The skier, who rides with Atomic skis and Oakley goggles, races with the acronym “ABFTTB” on her helmet. It means: “Always Be Faster Than The Boys.”

She started writing the acronym on her helmet when she was a young girl and has never stopped.