20 Things You Didn’t Know About Lindsey Vonn

Lindsey Vonn is a former alpine ski racer on the US Ski Team. She was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on October 18, 1984, and she began competing in ski events as a child. She is best known for being one of only two female skiers to win four World Cup championships. Her disciplines include downhill, Super-G, giant slalom, and combined. She retired from skiing on February 10, 2019, at the age of 34. Although she is a well-known athlete, there are many things that people do not know about her. Here are 20 interesting facts that you might not know about Lindsay Vonn.

1. Her Grandfather Taught Her to Ski

Vonn is famous for being the best female skier in the world, and it is all thanks to her grandfather, Don Kildow, says Heavy. During the Korean War, Don was stationed in Korea building roads. When he returned to the United States, he built the first-ever ski hill in Wisconsin. This is where he taught all the family to ski, including his young granddaughter Lindsey. Sadly, Don passed away in November 2017 at the age of 88. The following year, Lindsey Vonn dedicated her 2018 Winter Olympics win to her late grandfather.

2. Her Father Was Also a Skier

According to Heavy, Lindsey Vonn’s father Alan Kildow was also a skier. He competed in many skiing events during his teens and was training with the Austrian national ski team. He had won the U.S. junior championships on three occasions. Unfortunately, his dreams of pursuing a skiing career came to an abrupt end when he was 18 as he suffered a serious knee injury.

3. She is the Most Decorated Female Skier of All-Time

According to Wikipedia, Lindsey Vonn is the most decorated female skier of all-time. She has won 78 World Cup events and has won the overall World Cup championship four times. She won three individual Olympic medals, one of which was gold, and four team Olympic medals, along with her US teammates. Vonn is the most successful ski racer, and she also has the second highest ranking of all skiers, including both men and women.

4. She Had Already Achieved International Success by the Age of 16

Vonn showed such promise as a youngster that her mother moved with her to Vail for better training opportunities. Her father and siblings followed a year later. Vonn won the Trofeo Topolino in Italy at the age of 14, making her the only female American to win this event and her name was entered in the Golden Book of Champions. She finished in podium positions in several podium positions at the age of 15 and won her first International Ski Federation event in 2001.

5. She Was Married to a Fellow Olympic Skier

Lindsey Vonn was once married to Thomas Vonn . Thomas Vonn is a former alpine skier who represented the United States in the 2002 Olympics. The couple got married at the Silver Lake Lodge in Deer Valley, Utah, in September 2007. After four years of marriage, the couple announced their intention to divorce and the divorce was finalized in January 2013. Lindsey Vonn decided to keep her marital surname and not return to her maiden name, which is Kildow.

6. She Skis on Men’s Skis

Something that many people do not realize is that Lindsey Vonn skis on men’s skis. This is because of her height. At five feet ten inches, she is taller and a little heavier than some of the women she competes against, so men’s skis are the better choice for her. For many years, she wore Rossignol skis and gear. However, the dropped the amount they were paying in sponsorship money, so she switched to Head skis and gear.

7. Vonn Owns Cows and a Goat

An unusual fact that people do not know about Lindsey Vonn is that she owns a small herd of cows and a goat, says Red Bull. She got her first cow in 2005 when she had the option of 5,000 Euros or a cow when she won an event in France. She chose the cow and called it Olympe. The cow was pregnant and gave birth to Sunny, followed later by a cow called Karin after Vonn’s sister. Sunny went on to have a son and daughter, which Vonn called Don and Shirley after her grandparents. Vonn then won a goat at an event in 2009. She named her goat Laura after her other sister.

8. She Has Played Tennis Against Roger Federer

Lindsey Vonn has admitted that other than skiing, she is not very good at many other sports. However, she does enjoy tennis and she can play reasonably well. Her tennis idol is Roger Federer. She has described herself as a die-hard fan who even gets up in the middle of the night to catch his matches. Vonn met Federer after attending one of his matches in 2009. She has also played against the professional tennis player in an exhibition game 3,454 meters above sea level at the Swiss Aletsch glacier. Although she lost the match, she managed to hold her own and certainly didn’t disgrace herself in front of her sporting idol.

9. She Has a Big Social Media Following

Vonn is an active user of social media and has both Twitter and Instagram accounts on which she posts regularly. Her Twitter account has 1.05 million followers. She uses this account to post pictures of herself with her friends and family, shots of her modeling, and to promote articles about herself. She also uses it to communicate with her fans and to promote other athletes. Her Instagram account has 1.8 million followers. On this account, she posts pictures of herself, either alone or with friends and family. She also posts pictures of her pets and various shots of attending events and training.

10. Her Dog Also Has a Social Media Following

Lindsey Vonn has a rescue dog called Leo. She got him when he was nine months old from an animal shelter. He had been abandoned and run over, so he needed knee surgery. Lindsey also underwent knee surgery and said her dog helped her through the rehabilitation process. She loves her dog so much that she gave him his own Instagram account. Her dog is now a star in his own right with more than 12,000 followers.

11. Vonn Has an Estimated Personal Net Worth of $6 Million

As one of the most successful female athletes in the world, Lindsey Vonn has become a wealthy woman. It is not entirely clear how much money she has earned throughout her career. However, Celebrity Net Worth estimates that she has accrued a personal net worth of $6 million. This is in part from her winning various events, and also from endorsing brands. Although she has now retired from skiing, she continues to make money from brand endorsements.

12. She Has an Extreme Workout Regime

To train for events, Lindsey Vonn would undertake a grueling workout regime. This helped her to build her strength and improve her balance. Her routine included throwing medicine balls to the ceiling, doing pull-ups wearing a chain around her waist, and doing sit-ups on a wrecking ball. Although she is now retired and no longer needs to train to quite this extent, Lindsey Vaughn still likes to keep fit.

13. She Has Suffered Some Serious Injuries

Lindsey Vonn has suffered many serious injuries during her athletic career. In 2006, she was airlifted off a mountain during a training run for the Torino Olympics after a serious crash. Although she suffered some painful injuries, she went on to compete and came eight in the event. Accidents led to several seasons ending prematurely in 2013, 2014, and 2016. In November 2017, she broke her arm in a crash during training. The following month, she seriously injured her back while competing in the Super-G race in St. Moritz in Switzerland. Although she finished in 24th position, she didn’t let it keep her down. Just a week later, she finished in a podium position at Val d’Isere.

14. She Earns a Lot of Money by Endorsing Products

Although she has made money from her skiing career, she probably makes much more money from endorsing products. According to Romper, it is estimated that she makes around one million dollars per year endorsing brands. Some of the brands that she endorses are for brands including Oakley, Proctor & Gamble, GoPro, Beats by Dre, Red Bull, Under Armour, Role, and Hershey.

15. She Hates the Cold

One of the most surprising things about Lindsey Vonn is that she hates the cold. You would assume that a skier enjoyed being in the cold, but that is not the case. However, she does enjoy being outdoors and the fresh feeling that it gives you.

16. Vonn Dated Golfer Tiger Woods

Lindsay Vonn first met golfer Tiger Woods at a charity event in 2012. At first, they were just good friends, but then it developed into a relationship. They ended up dating for around three years.In May 2015, they announced that they had split acrimoniously and intended to remain friends. They blamed the split on their busy work schedules and hectic lives.

17. She Has a Dream Lazy Day

When it comes to her dream lazy day, Vonn has admitted that she is a bit of a dork and is not cool at all, says Esquire. She has described her dream lazy day as sitting around with her dogs and wearing a onesie. She would lie on the settee eating a large container of froyo and watch a ‘Law and Order’ marathon.

18. She is Very Superstitious

In an interview with Esquire, Lindsey Vonn revealed that she is very superstitious. Before she races, she has to make sure her outfit is color-coordinated, with everything in the same shade of pink if the outfit has pink on it. She also has jewelry that she wears for luck. This is either a necklace that her siblings bought her or an earring that says the word ‘dream’. Vonn also revealed that she is fiddly before she skis. When she is stood at the starting gate, she fiddles with her ski pole straps.

19. She Has Posed Naked for a Magazine

In 2010, Lindsey Vonn appeared in the Sports Illustrated Edition which focused on athletes that had taken part in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. In the same year, she was listed in the 59th position on the Maxim Hot 100 list. She appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition for the second time in 2016. ON this occasion, she posed wearing nothing but body paint.

20. She Can Speak German

Lindsey Vonn can speak German. She decided to learn this language to make it easier for when she was competing in alpine events. It helped her to communicate with her competitors and those who were organizing the events. She could also use her language skills to go about daily life, such as going to the shops, when she was traveling in Europe to compete in skiing events.