Winter is here which means it’s almost time for snow! Keeping with the theme of snow, Lindsey Vonn is arguably the most popular alpine skier in the world and she has accomplished a lot. Vonn might not play a “mainstream” sport but she is one person everyone loves to see on and off the slopes. Check out these five facts about Ms. Vonn!
1. She Began Her Professional Career At 16
At age 31, Vonn has competed in three Olympics, 14 World Cups and six World Championships. Before all of that, she started skiing at age two, but her interest really turned to becoming a professional after meeting Picabo Street. As a former alpine skier herself, Street’s impact was so big that she later became Vonn’s mentor. She began taking lessons to hone her craft by the time she was 7 and at age 16, had climbed up the U.S. Ski Team ranks. She went on to compete in the World Cup that same year.
2. She Has Won Two Olympic Medals
Vonn has competed in three Olympics. Her first in 2002 resulted in no medals, but she would return in 2006, once again unable to come back with a medal. Finally in 2010, she won two medals; a gold medal in the Women’s Downhill and a bronze medal in the Women’s Super-G. She actually planned on competing in all five of the Women’s Skiing events but only competed in three, placing in two. She had to cut her tenure at the Olympics short due to an injury.
3. She Lives and Breathes Skiing
You could have probably already figured out how dedicated Vonn is, but she has only fallen more and more in love with the sport as she has gotten older. According to Vonn, she really only has time to ski and that training is a huge part of her schedule. She usually trains six days a week for 6-8 hours per day and this year was no exception. Despite breaking her arm, Vonn is still training and even posted a video of herself doing pullups. Even with all of her training, she does enjoy other sports such as cycling and tennis.
4. She Is A Published Author
In between her training schedule, Vonn found time to write a book, Strong Is the New Beautiful: Embrace Your Natural Beauty, Eat Clean, and Harness Your Power. Her book focuses on her regimen for staying healthy and even discloses her fitness plan, covering everything from body confidence, the right foods to eat and her personal philosophy on becoming a stronger woman. She even included some personal stories and details about her life to keep it a little bit more personal.
5. She Has Her Own Foundation
According to the foundation’s website, “The Lindsey Vonn Foundation is committed to engaging the community and our future generation with a positive and constructive atmosphere. We focus on strengthening the community by giving individual attention to the empowerment of girls. With our all-girl program we create a comfortable environment for growth as athletes, as learners, and as individuals.” The donations are used to create scholarships and programs to help girls’ dreams come true.
