Mikaela Shiffrin might be a professional skier now, but if she’d opened a LinkedIn account as a 9-year-old, her profile would have said something different.

“I wanted to be a rainbow horse,” the six-time overall World Cup champion admitted when asked what she originally wanted to be when she grew up.

Shiffrin hung out with about 40 young girls as part of “The GOAT Gives Back” event on Saturday at Copper Mountain. The invite-only private ski day kicked off a $1 million fundraising initiative to support youth ski and snowboard programs across the U.S. alongside ShareWinter, an organization the Edwards skier partnered with and helped to raise nearly $500,000 for in 2025.

“It’s been really cool to see how raising money for ShareWinter helps impact kids like you to get outside and get into snow sports,” Shiffrin said shortly after walking into a packed conference room in Center Village around 9:30 a.m. Most of the 10-14 year-olds — who absorbed with adoration all of the superstar’s words while holding tilted heads and reverent stares — were members of elevateHER. The Chaffee County-based organization, established in 2017, seeks to “foster self-worth and grit in young women through mentoring, outdoor adventure and holistic wellness programs.”

“It depends on the season, but in the fall we mountain bike and rock climb. In the summer we raft (and) in the winter we go skiing,” said Frankie, a 14-year-old from Salida who is in the leadHERship program that meets monthly during the school year and weekly over the summer. Her friend, Lucia Downing, said the group is a welcoming space where you get to “meet people who share your interests.” Anabelle Soltz, a Salida Montessori Charter School student, echoed the sentiment.

“I really like the community because everyone is so supporting,” Soltz stated. “You never feel like you’re not good enough at all when you’re in this group.”

ShareWinter “partners with youth programs nationwide to remove barriers to skiing and riding, funding access to lessons, gear, lift tickets and transportation so kids can experience their first turns, build confidence and find belonging on snow.” CEO Constance Beverley said it takes about $500 to support one child for a full season on snow.

“Because it’s a little bit of a ladies shred fest here, we thought it would be very fun to get to ski with, I don’t know, the best Alpine skier of all-time!” Beverley said as the excited group of youngsters waited for Shiffrin to arrive. Amalia McNeirney, a 13-year-old Team Monarch skier, said she was most looking forward to getting to know the legendary athlete as a person.

“It’s just awesome that she could get to come out and do this with us. Some Olympic athletes, they don’t really do that, and it’s really cool to see that she’s doing this for us,” McNeirney said. While many of the attendees were not ski racers, McNeirney and her friend, Rose Lenth, were. Both said watching Shiffrin claim Olympic gold in the slalom last February was one of the most inspirational moments of the winter.

“I feel like she knew she’d done so well. You could tell she was proud of herself,” said Lenth, whose own “confidence definitely grew” after winning her final slalom race of the season.

“I like skiing more than any other sport,” Lenth continued. “So, it’s very cool to meet someone who is that good at my favorite sport.”

Before heading out to the hill for a group ski, kids peppered Shiffrin with questions ranging from what she thinks about in the start gate to how she started in the sport in the first place. Shiffrin shared her mantras and answered each inquiry with her trademark transparency and depth. She chronicled her ski story, which started in the driveway at 2 years old.

“I don’t really remember this, but my mom or dad would be at the top and the other would be at the bottom and it would be like, ‘OK, catch her!'” she recalled. “I was the youngest child and it was like, ‘my family skis, so I’m going to ski.’ And I wanted to do everything my brother did.”

Even though Shiffrin benefited from an early beginning, she also emphasized the potential inside everyone — no matter what the journey looks like or when it starts.

“If you’re passionate about something, it doesn’t matter when you get into it,” she said, pointing specifically to U.S. Ski Team teammate Luke Winters as an example. “It’s sort of never too late to find a new passion.”

At one point, Shiffrin relayed a humorous childhood Christmas morning story wherein she did “zoomies” in the basement after not receiving a highly-desired gift. While pretending to be a bucking bronco, she nearly ran into said gift, which her parents had stored in the basement as a surprise.

“I thought it was really funny,” said Brooke, who sat in the front row and offered a hearty laugh at Shiffrin’s punchline.

“I’ve always wanted to meet someone famous, and I never thought it would happen,” the youngster from Poncha Springs continued. “And Mikaela’s cool. She’s not like the ‘pick me’ type of famous.”

Before giving her “rainbow horse” answer, Shiffrin turned the tables when asked the proverbial, “what did you want to be when you grew up?” question. Answers poured in from the gallery.

Baker. Nurse. Paleontologist.

Evelyn, who just moved to Poncha Springs from Ohio last May, said she hopes to be an actress.

“Her saying you can achieve your dream makes me think that whatever you think can be possible,” Evelyn said. “No matter what.”

Original reporting from vaildaily.com