“RIP to the Legend”: Lindsey Vonn Mourns the Death of Red Bull Founder at 78

Lindsey Vonn, the three-time Olympic medalist skier, owes her career greatly to the timely collaboration with Red Bull. Dietrich Mateschitz, the co-founder of Red Bull, passed away at the age of 78. Lindsey took to Instagram to pen down a heartfelt message and mourned his loss.

Coincidentally, Red Bull and Lindsey were born in the same year, 1984. As a master plan of destiny, Red Bull became a key sponsor of Lindsey and contributed hugely to transforming her into a world-class professional skier. In her Instagram story, she wrote a nostalgic note about the co-founder and paid tribute to him.

Lindsey Vonn expressed her gratitude to the Red Bull co-founder

Vonn picked up skis at the age of 3. She was a passionate skier without a plan B; devoted herself to ski past the records of the sport. Red Bull has been extremely instrumental in her career’s upward trajectory. According to Lindsey’s Instagram post, Dietrich, who helped establish Red Bull as a dominant brand across several sports, also had a significant impact on her career development.

Vonn wrote, “RIP to the legend, a one-of-a-kind man and an incredible leader.” Addressing him as Didi, she shared that he was always kind, soft-spoken, and a charismatic man. Furthermore, she said, “He was one of the first to believe in me and I will be forever grateful. He will be greatly missed and there will never be another like him.”

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Also, she shared her sincerest condolences to Mark, Marion, and his entire family. In 2005, Red Bull invited Vonn to be part of their Athletes Special Projects. It indeed turned out to be her big chance and a game-changing decision.

Lindsey’s journey with Red Bull

Regarding Lindsey being invited to become a part of their ASP, she said, “I didn’t need to think twice. I had a feeling this was going to be my big chance.” The Red Bull team came up with a unique concept to the coaches at the US Ski Team. It paved way for a collaboration between the US ski team and the team of ASP Red Bull.

Undeniably, the collab changed Lindsey’s life forever. She got world-class training specifically to cater to Lindsey’s needs. Also, she took German lessons to make it easier in the major Alpine skiing countries. Besides, it included fitness and physio sessions during the season. Initially, Lindsey questioned every new exercise or suggestion. Gradually when she noticed her strength and performance improve, she grew confident in the system.

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Lindsey Vonn won her first Olympic medal in 2010. In her career spanning more than two decades, she won four World Championships and a record 82 World Cup victories despite several setbacks, injuries, and personal issues. Inarguably, the alpine skiing legend made all her stakeholders proud including her prime sponsor Red Bull as seen in all her winning moments.