Lindsey Vonn’s Dedication to Skiing Pays Off

It is well known that athletes combine raw natural talent with plenty of hard work. The same can be said for Lindsey Vonn, born Lindsey Kildow on 18 October 1984. Lindsey has a passion for skiing and the determination to be the best skiing athlete of our time. Her magnificent performances on the snow have gained her a faithful following, but it was her most recent achievement, winning the overall Audi FIS World Cup, that has skyrocketed her into instant stardom and is seen as only a glimpse of what is to come.

It is well known that athletes combine raw natural talent with plenty of hard work. The same can be said for Lindsey Vonn, born Lindsey Kildow on 18 October 1984. Lindsey has a passion for skiing and the determination to be the best skiing athlete of our time. Her magnificent performances on the snow have gained her a faithful following, but it was her most recent achievement, winning the overall Audi FIS World Cup, that has skyrocketed her into instant stardom and is seen as only a glimpse of what is to come.

Lindsey began her love affair with skiing at the age of two, and was later given the opportunity to enroll in the Erich Sailer’s development program that was hosted at Buck Hill. After a few years of traveling between home and Vali, her family decided to relocate to Vali to be closer to Lindsey, a sacrifice she is still grateful for. With the support of her family behind her, Lindsey Vonn soon grew from good to excellent on the slopes. She began making strides in her professional skiing career while in the U.S. Ski Team.

Vonn took the skiing world by storm in 1999, when she won the Trofeo Topolino in Italy, becoming the first American to do so. Her big Alpine Skiing World Cup debut was made in 2000. Then in 2002, Lindsey was chosen for the U.S. Olympic Team to compete in the Olympic Winter Games. At the Junior World Championships in 2003, Lindsey brought home a downhill silver medal, and also won the Europa Cup and NorAms during her junior career. The year 2004 ended up being very successful for the young athlete, raking in another silver medal at the U.S. Alpine Championships and receiving her first World Cup podium position.

During the 2006 Olympic Games, Lindsey injured her hip while training. Despite spending a night in the hospital, she returned to the competition to compete and finished in an understandable eighth position. Her determination to compete, regardless of the injury she had suffered and pain she had endured, won her the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award. At the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in 2007, Lindsey again received silver medals in both the super G and downhill events, but could not take part in the slalom division, due to a sprained knee. But her disappointment was overshadowed by finishing third in these two divisions at the 2007 World Cup (Woman) and getting married to Thomas Vonn on 29 September 2007.

Taking home the overall World Cup title, and carefully transporting her crystal globe home this year, at the tender age of 23, is testament to her dedication to skiing and the unmatched talent that she has. Fans will be looking forward to following her on what is foreseen to be a wonderful, long and successful career.