At the age of just 21, Kirsty Muir is already getting set for her second Winter Olympics and has lost a year of her career to injuries. Despite facing some testing times following her Olympic debut in Beijing, Kirsty has always been convinced she’d get back to her best.
The freestyle skier was Team GB’s youngest athlete at Beijing 2022, at the age of just 17 years old. However, Kirsty didn’t let any pressure impact her performances, as she finished fifth in Big Air and eighth in Slopestyle.
Following her Olympic debut, Kirsty’s career was going from strength to strength, as she carved out a big reputation on the freestyle circuit. She won two X Games bronze medals in 2023 in Slopestyle and Big Air, but later that year a torn ACL would leave her requiring surgery in January 2024, which would be shortly followed by a shoulder surgery.
Following these injuries was a long 13 months of recovery. This resulted in Kirsty going through a grueling rehab process, month after month of long gym sessions which are enough to let doubts creep in for even the most experienced athletes. Nevertheless, Kirsty stayed resolute throughout, insisting that she never had any doubts that she’d come back stronger.
And she would prove herself right, Kirsty came back in style, winning her first X Games gold in Slopestyle just weeks before the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics was set to take place. Kirsty commented on her mindset throughout her rehabilitation process:
“100%, I knew I would get back. I had doubts, you always have doubts. Will you get back to the same level? Worse? Better? All those sort of things. But I always knew I would get back, and that was really good motivation for me.”
With Kirsty putting together a strong run of performances ahead of Milano Cortina, she is feeling as comfortable and happy as ever whilst on the slopes “I am feeling really good, I’m really happy on my skis, and really with everything that has been happening.” She said.
Throughout Kirsty’s rehabilitation, she was supported by sportscotland’s institute of sport. This involved a lot of work with Physical Preparation Coaches David Boyd and Dan Brownbridge. David said of the recovery process: “We had Kirsty in for the majority of the year, for four or five times a week, working on strengthening her knee.
"It’s a nine to twelve month injury, but we want to keep an eye on it for upwards of two years. We were just working away every week, to a point where she got herself back competing in, and winning world cups again by 2025.”
Kirsty was quick to acknowledge the support that she had:
“They (the sportscotland institute of sport) played a huge role. I was going to the gym five days a week, and they were always there supporting me to push through the physical and mental struggles.”
Now with a further four years of experience, Kirsty feels a lot more confident ahead of this Winter Olympics.
She said: “Before the last games, I won’t lie, I was very nervous. I was a shy kid, I didn’t speak to the girls that much on the circuit. I think now, I have come out of my shell. All of my mates are on the circuit, I’m having a much better time.”
Kirsty is also looking forward to the extra support she'll have in Italy. After the COVID-19 pandemic left families unable to travel to Beijing :“I am excited for my family to come out and watch, because they haven’t seen me compete in person since the Youth Olympics in 2020.”
