A year ago, Michelle Gisin was in bed. Powerless, discouraged, almost motionless. The glandular fever hit her so hard that she feared for her career.
What followed was a winter like she never expected. Gisin finished on the World Cup podium in three disciplines (Super-G, giant slalom and slalom) and finished fifth in the overall World Cup. Above all, she won the Super-G bronze at the Olympics and, after 2018, combined gold for the second time. “The last year was difficult to grasp, very extreme. I put all the energy I had into skiing. It was life on the limit.” The consequence? Gisin was happy in the spring, but needed a lot of time to process everything.
In order to regain strength both physically and mentally, Gisin did intensive yoga. She’s been doing this for years, but lately she’s probably been doing it a little more consciously. She also enjoyed the time with her boyfriend Luca at home on Lake Garda, took tennis lessons for the first time (“My attack balls are pretty good”) and visited her family in Engelberg OW. Very close by, on the Trübsee, we meet Gisin. She says: “For a few weeks I’ve felt like myself again.”
A very special sailing boat trip also contributed to this. Together with four friends and a skipper, Gisin explored the beautiful bays of Sardinia and Corsica for a week. «The boat is 30 years old, a catamaran with very little space. I often hit my head, »says the 1.74 meter tall ski all-rounder. “We had neither a fridge nor a shower,” she says.
Haul the anchor? Gisin is here!
Gisin, who has been a passionate windsurfer for years, is happy about the new experience on the water. «We deliberately didn’t have any luxury and lived very simply, close to nature. That was really cool,” she says.
At the same time, physical activity was not neglected. Like her colleagues, Gisin had to pull up the sails, jibe and steer. “There was almost always something to do. And at some point I was chosen to be the anchor winder. That was really strict, once we had 30 meters of chain in the water – I had to crank like crazy.”
But there were also moments of relaxation. “I read, swam a lot and was able to recharge my batteries. And now I know almost everything about sailing boats», she sums up with a smile.
Today Gisin feels well recovered – also from glandular fever. “I no longer need an hour or two to wake up in the morning,” she says with relief. The body aches and mood swings are gone. Nevertheless: Gisin and her doctor keep a very close eye on the blood values. She is aware that a setback, while unlikely, is possible.
«Exciting to jump into the unknown»
So Gisin feels comfortable in her own skin again. The question remains: Why did she decide to sign with Salomon after 14 years with Rossignol? “I find it extremely exciting to sometimes jump into the unknown. The new skis give me a boost in motivation,” she says. Gisin is aware of the risk of the undertaking. “It could go haywire, sure. But it could also be very good. And now, at 28, it’s the right time for a change!”