Mikaela Shiffrin’s coaches became ‘mentors in life’ during trying year Mike Day, a former Auburn resident who grew up skiing at Lost Valley, is part of the team that has rallied around Shiffrin during a tragic and trying year. By Eric WillemsenThe Associated Press Read Article United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin competes in a women’s World Cup giant slalom race in San Vigilio di Marebbe, Italy, on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati A personal tragedy. The global pandemic. Then a back injury to top it all off. Mikaela Shiffrin had to deal with a surprising number of setbacks in 2020. But if there’s a silver lining, those setbacks also created a new bond between the 25-year-old skiing great and her coaching team — a bond that has her back as one of the favorites at next week’s world championships in Italy.