Nearly Two Years After Her Mother’s Passing, Lindsey Vonn Finds Renewed Inspiration in Her Memory, ‘More Than Ever’

Few athletes have ascended as many peaks as Lindsey Vonn. With a record-breaking 82 World Cup victories and four World Cup overall championships, her dominance in alpine skiing is legendary, a feat only surpassed among women by Mikaela Shiffrin. Yet, Vonn’s journey to greatness hasn’t been so smooth. Throughout her career, she has faced countless obstacles. Be it torn ligaments or broken bones. Despite these setbacks, Vonn’s return to the slopes has always been fueled by one person: her mother, Linda Krohn.

However, tragedy struck in 2022 when Vonn’s mother passed away due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. While coping with the loss, Vonn found solace and strength in honouring her mother’s enduring legacy as she recently shared.

Lindsey Vonn’s mother’s impact on her career

Vonn has always regarded her mother, who was once an “amazing athlete” before suffering a stroke. She feels an “obligation” to give her best,” a sentiment she candidly shared, People magazine reported. Reflecting on her mother’s struggles, Vonn admits to grappling with guilt, “My mom had a stroke when she had me and she was permanently disabled.

She further added, “And she couldn’t run, she couldn’t ever ski with me, she couldn’t ride a bike, and so in my mind, I’m sitting here thinking I’m doing what I love to do.”  With a resolute mindset, Vonn embraces her mother’s legacy as a driving force behind her determination.

Instead of yielding to negativity or self-pity, she finds strength in her mother’s resilience. Seeing her abilities as a valuable opportunity, Vonn refuses to waste it. Instead, she redirects her energy to the gym and the slopes, motivated by the understanding that she’s fulfilling the dreams her mother couldn’t achieve. As she says, “Now she is exuding that resilience more than ever before.” However, Vonn is still connected with her mom, through the old memories of her.

How her mother’s texts are shaping her recovery 

Reflecting on cherished memories with her mother, Lindsey Vonn reveals that she still treasures her mom’s text messages, which contain inspirational quotes that brighten her days. “We had a family group chat, and she would send text messages almost every day with different inspirational quotes. I’ve got a million of them, and I always actually look back at them.” While these messages bring tears, Vonn slowly transitions to a place where she can reminisce with a mix of joy and sorrow.

Read More: “A Role Model To Me”: Emotional Lindsey Vonn Pens Down Tribute to Women Who ‘Truly Shaped’ Her Journey to GOAT Status

She humorously described her occasional emotional outbursts, juxtaposed with the comforting presence of her mother’s contact still stored as number one on her phone’s text chain. Despite the pain of her loss, Vonn remains grateful for these mementoes and the enduring impact of her mother that still remains in her life.

Read More: Lindsey Vonn Candidly Revealed That Despite Achieving Olympic Goals, She Didn’t Feel ‘Special’