One week before the Olympic Games, I was hit by food poisoning, and coming back physically wasn’t easy. As the reigning Olympic champion, there were naturally high expectations, and not feeling fully ready added extra pressure.

Still, I trusted my skiing and stayed focused through the challenge. I’m incredibly proud of how I handled the situation and of winning an Olympic silver medal, even without feeling that I found my absolute best flow on race day. It was a result that showed both resilience and the level I know I can compete at.

I’m also very thankful for the people around me — my serviceman Reini for giving me skis I could fully trust and glide fast with, and my coach Walter for making me feel calm, confident, and safe throughout the entire experience.