“It Would Mean a Lot to Him”- Lindsey Vonn Scattered Her Grandfather’s Ashes at the Same Place She Clinched Her Olympic Victory

Lindsey Vonn became the most decorated alpine skier during her reign in the sport between 2005 and 2019. Although the athlete had a busy schedule during this period, she kept in touch with her family members.

However, there was one family member that she admired greatly. It was her grandfather, Don Kildow.

Lindsey Vonn commemorated her grandfather during her final Olympics

Vonn expected her grandfather to watch her race in the events in what would be her final Olympic Games. However, it was not to be, as Don passed away three months before the PyeongChang Winter Games.

So Lindsey did the next best thing she could. She was aware of her grandfather’s history with the country she was heading to for her final Winter Olympics.

Don mostly kept his time in Korea to himself. However, he started to narrate events of his time in the country when he became aware of the venue of the 2018 Winter Games.

Reminiscing these times, Vonn said, “It’s nice for me to really be able to talk about these stories with him now.”

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“I’ve learned a lot about it that I didn’t know before,” the athlete continued.

Vonn knew that her grandfather had a special bond with Korea, so she wanted to leave a part of him in Pyeongchang. Therefore, she scattered some of his ashes close to the men’s Olympic downhill course.

Reflecting on it, she said, “I know it would mean a lot to him to be back here.”

“A part of him is in South Korea, always,” added the decorated skier.

Another memorable gesture to honor her grandfather

Her grandfather’s passing did not keep the three-time Olympic medalist from competing at the meet. If anything, it made the athlete even more determined to win a medal at the Winter Games. It was because she wanted to dedicate her victory to her grandfather. And she kept her words!

The skier won bronze in the downhill event in Pyeongchang. It would become Vonn’s final Olympic medal.

After the event, she said, “I tried everything I could to win for him.”

“I got a bronze, which to me was very special and I think he would be proud of that,” continued the Olympian.

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What Vonn did was among the most touching gestures a person could do for their loved ones. And in doing so, she cemented her grandfather’s legacy for ages to come.