Vonn emphasizes grit during her Snowsports Hall of Fame induction

Featured image Shauna Farnell

The 39-year-old downhill champion said she hopes her determination and drive distinguishes her impact on the sport and beyond

VAIL, Colo. – Inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame last weekend, Lindsey Vonn divulged that the low points in her career shaped her the most.

“They taught me something very special,” she said in her induction speech. “They taught me grit.”

Learning to ski at age 2 on Buck Hill, Minnesota, Vonn, her mom and four siblings moved to a two-bedroom condo in Vail when she was 12 to allow her to pursue her ski racing career.

In her Hall of Fame induction video narrated by her childhood hero, Picabo Street, Vonn’s coaches and teammates weighed in on her grit, which began at a young age. Competing in her first race at age 7 before moving to Vail, her father, Alan Kildow, pointed out that “she was first on the hill and last on the hill. She never stopped. It was repeat, repeat, repeat.”

Making her World Cup debut at age 16, Vonn went on to notch 82 victories, winning in every discipline before making speed events her main focus toward the end of her career, which arrived after winning her final medal — a bronze in downhill — at the 2019 World Ski Championships in Åre, Sweden. At age 34, she became the oldest female alpine skier to land a medal and the only in history to earn medals in six World Championships.

“Her focus was legendary. Her determination, the way she approached her career — it takes that determination to last the way she did. It was inspiring to all of us,” Bode Miller said in the video. “When she battled against that whole next generation and came back from multiple injuries, it was a remarkable achievement. Lindsey figures out how to get it done.”

Bouncing back from injury

Vonn sustained a litany of significant injuries, including several concussions, blowing out her right knee twice in back-to-back seasons, breaking her left ankle, her left knee and her right arm (the surgery involved inserting a metal rod after which she had to relearn how to write and duct taped her pole to her hand when her fingers got numb in the cold). Right before landing that final World Champs downhill bronze medal, Vonn crashed violently in the super-G and missed most of the season due to knee pain following a November training crash.

Now 39 and having undergone countless knee surgeries during and after her race career (which somehow didn’t stop her from fulfilling her bucket list dream of skiing the Streif in Kitzbuhel — in the dark of night, no less — in 2023), Vonn decided to have a partial right knee replacement this April. She said the results have been life-changing.

“I’m excited about the future because I’m finally not in pain all the time,” she said during an interview Saturday. “It’s been an ongoing process. I had a couple of surgeries since retiring and it would hold for 12 to 16 months. It was causing more problems than just my knee. It was my hip, my back, my neck. My ribs were popping out all the time. I talked to a lot of doctors and decided on the partial. It was definitely the right move. I’ll probably need another partial on the other side or a full replacement, but it’s changed my life completely. I don’t think about my knee. My knee doesn’t hurt. I’ve been road biking and weightlifting. I can do anything. It feels amazing. I’m going to do a lot of skiing. I’m excited for it.”

Building the future

When asked if she might come out of retirement to compete in this December’s women’s World Cup races on the Birds of Prey course at Beaver Creek, Vonn said it’s not in the cards.

“I will definitely watch in complete FOMO (fear of missing out) jealousy mode,” she said. “But just the fact that there are races there for women is meaningful for me. I’m happy to be cheering them on.”

Vonn has always advocated for women competing on men’s racecourses,and etching their place in traditionally male-dominated fields. She is deeply involved in her nonprofit organization, the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, which strives to support and build confidence in young girls pursuing their dreams, athletic and otherwise.

“It’s 50-50 athletes. Very few athletes even want to be Olympians,” Vonn said. “We’re trying to get girls that have goals and dreams that are not in your traditional female space — a lot of STEM girls, an aeronautical engineer who wants to be an engineer for NASA. Those are the girls that dream big. They’re all driven in their own way. It’s about encouraging them to follow their own path and be strong enough to do that.”

Since the foundation’s inception in 2015, it has gifted over a million dollars in scholarships. Vonn has personally participated in all but one of the Strong Girls camps, annual events for dozens of 10 to 14-year-old girls to develop self-confidence through hiking excursions, obstacle courses and social activities. Through these experiences, Vonn hopes to impart the grit that drove her to bring her dreams to fruition.

“The Strong Girls camp is where I get to see the transformation of a timid girl into a strong and confident girl,” Vonn said. “Looking at my career as a whole, I hope that’s what comes out of it, inspiring women to be their best selves.”

The 2034 Olympics

Vonn also advocates for families, as demonstrated this summer when she was instrumental in helping Salt Lake City, Utah, clinch the 2034 Winter Olympic Games. As part of the city’s bid committee, Vonn launched the Athlete Families Initiative, helping Olympians’ families secure affordable tickets, transportation and lodging during the event.

“I think we’re going to do incredible things for the families and athletes in 2034. That’s the tip of the iceberg, really. I want to help in any way I can,” she said. “We’ll see what the future holds, but know that I will always advocate for ski racing and women and do the best I can. I always have time for meaningful things.”

Vonn took a moment on Saturday to congratulate Mikaela Shiffrin for yet again advancing the sport to another level, besting her own (and everyone else’s) World Cup record and establishing a benchmark for future athletes to surpass.

Paying it forward

“It gives me great pride knowing the next generation is reaching even higher than I was able to,” Vonn said in her speech. “I know she’ll inspire someone else in the future to do the same.”

Sitting down to reflect on her most significant impact on ski racing, Vonn again expressed that it’s not her results but her work ethic that she hopes motivates future athletes and women from all backgrounds.

“Throughout history, athletes and women in particular — we all have our time and we make the impact where we can,” she said. “Picabo had such a big impact on me, Tamara [McKinney] on her before that. For me, reflecting on what I’ve accomplished in my career, I hope I’ve made a similar impact as the ones before me. I hope I’ve made an impact in a way that inspires others to achieve their dreams and goals. Through my foundation, I’ve seen that come to life. It’s more than about ski racing. It’s about showing girls they have so much strength within them. I’m not the most talented. I have talent, but above all, I’m a hard worker. That grit and determination can get you far in life.”