At BMA, a small boarding school with a ski-racing emphasis (alum include Erik Schlopy and Diann Roffe), Shiffrin was usually the first one on the hill, warming up and helping set the course. After training, she’d ski another five runs on her own, working on various drills to perfect her technique.

“She’s a student of skiing,” says Kirk Dwyer, her coach at BMA, who Shiffrin credits with establishing her work ethic. “She’s probably spent more time analyzing video than any skier out there.”

Pech remembers a powder day when class was cancelled. After a few runs, Shiffrin disappeared.

“I was on the chairlift and looked over at our training hill. Half the fencing was covered in snow and Mikaela was doing drills on her Super G skis. What most of us see as work, she sees as fun.”

And that is why she is a champion. She sees work as fun.