Four years ago, Mikaela Shiffrin’s Olympic dreams died amid a series of painful events. The most decorated skier in history, she was – according to the experts – guaranteed to come away with a host of medals. After all, she had been winning races all her life, beating competitors older than her, rising to the occasion once and again. She won her first national championship when she was all of sixteen years old. 

At the Olympic Games in 2022, she planned to ski in six different disciplines. Shockingly, she either fell or did not finish most of them. There would be no medals. She came away from Beijing with heartache and regret, sadness and confusion. We watched her cry at the side of the mountain, again and again frustrated by a sport she had otherwise dominated.  

So, when these Olympics rolled around, everyone wondered which Shiffrin would take center stage. Would it be the perennial winner or the skier who was overcome by the gravity of the moment four years ago? 

We are not Olympians but we know about expectations. We know about not having things go as we would want. We know about regret. We are not gold medalists but we know what it feels like to wonder if we’ll ever be what we once were. We can relate to Shiffrin, at least in part. We know about trying our best. We know too about being judged, even harshly or unfairly. 

This week, she took to the slopes again. Merely showing up was an act of defiance of sorts. She could have stayed home or hid from the public eye. Rather, Shiffrin got back in the proverbial ring and absolutely dominated the slalom event this past Wednesday. She won gold, adding to her collection. Her face told a story of utter joy and great pride. 

We are not her; we cannot be her. But I pray that you too have found moments of redemption and of joy. This month of Adar, when we are meant to actively seek out joy, I pray that there are places in your life where you find joy, even now, even during these hard days of winter. I pray that you know that you have it in you as well to rise above past pain and hardship. This is the story of the Jewish people in the end. This is your story.