Lindsay Vonn’s feelings have shifted as she gears up for the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Initially, she felt just excitement, but now there’s a layer of nerves creeping in.
“Things have shifted a bit this week,” said Martina Seiler, daughter of Vonn’s childhood coach, during a phone interview. She added a nervous laugh, revealing the gravity of the situation.
This change isn’t surprising. Vonn, who is on a quest for an Olympic comeback, experienced a serious injury when she completely ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during downhill training at the end of January, leading to an airlift from the scene. The question of her participation in the Olympics became a pressing concern.
Despite this major setback, Vonn didn’t back down. She completed her first training run just recently, clocking in at 1 minute 40.33 seconds, landing in 11th place, trailing the leader by 1.39 seconds.
“Imagine zipping down a mountain at 130 miles per hour with no roads. You can’t just do that,” Tony Olin, a close family friend and Vonn’s former private coach, explained in a phone call. “That’s the kind of thing she faces every time she competes.”
After the accident, Saylor, a long-time family friend, reached out to Vonn, expressing his thoughts and support. As the women’s downhill final approaches, he mentioned that Vonn is keeping her focus sharp, determined to achieve her goals.
“She’s been really committed to her goal for quite some time,” Seiler indicated. She’s headed to Milan with her family to support Vonn, expressing her hopes for Vonn’s safety and success. “Of course, I want her to do well. But above all, I just care about her well-being as a person.”
For both Seiler and Olin, Vonn’s resolve to push forward wasn’t unexpected. She has faced some serious challenges throughout her career.
In 2019, during the World Championships in Åre, Sweden, Vonn had a major crash in the super-G event. Her late mentor, Erich Sailer, famously told her, “It’s just 90 seconds of your life. You can get through anything in that time.”
Remarkably, just five days later, those 90 seconds earned her a bronze medal, even with injuries that would later come to light.
“She has really found herself again. Yes, there’s a lot to deal with, but she’s determined to show courage,” Olin remarked.
Vonn has always utilized that warrior mentality and work ethic throughout her career.
Her mother, Lindy Ann Lund, passed away in 2022 after battling ALS. Following the Olympian’s birth, she suffered a stroke and went on to have four more children. Vonn frequently helped out during those early years, as Olin noted.
Starting her racing journey at six, Vonn joined Buck Hill’s program with encouragement from her father, Alan Kildow, who was Erich Sailer’s first protégé. Before her family relocated to Vail, Colorado, Vonn trained three times a week, rising early for practice before school.
At just nine, she traveled to Europe alone for three weeks, managing to train with older racers at Buck Hill—showing impressive discipline and maturity, according to Saylor. Upon returning, she quickly moved to Mount Hood in Oregon for more training.
“There was a remarkable level of resiliency there,” Olin highlighted, noting how much it was a part of her being. “She loved this sport.”
Outside her ventures as an entrepreneur, Vonn has fully dedicated herself to skiing, a journey that has shaped her as she heads into her fifth Olympic appearance. Friends and family were not surprised when she came out of retirement to compete again.
Saylor’s daughters, both young ski racers, were thrilled to hear the news of Vonn’s comeback last November—they ran outside in excitement.
“She always collaborates with top doctors, physical therapists, and trainers,” Saylor shared. “They all understand what her body can handle. When she decided to come back, I felt confident knowing she was strong enough.”
“She wouldn’t return just for the sake of it. She intends to be the best,” Saylor added.
Just days after her last injury, Vonn shared a photo on Instagram of Erich Seiler’s grave in Austria, stopping there en route to Cortina. She reflected, writing, “I know exactly what he would say… I wish he could be here to say it himself.”
Martina Sailer is convinced that Vonn is keeping the essence of Sailer’s 90-second racing motto in mind.
“I think she really holds onto that idea, and that’s why she’s competing again,” Saylor concluded.
