Legendary alpine skier Lindsey Vonn‘s downhill feats still leave us breathless. But this time she is in the spotlight for winning the hearts of sports fans beyond the slopes. The four World Cup overall championship winner was part of the seven-member Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 bid committee. As a part of that, she gave a speech during the 142nd IOC session at the 2024 Summer Olympics on July 24 in Paris. Her involvement was a success as Salt Lake City bagged the honors of hosting the 2034 Winter Olympics.

But here’s the kicker – the skiing legend who retired in 2019 wasn’t involved only to secure the Olympics for the Utahn. She is on a bigger mission, one that aims to share the excitement and thrill of the games with everyone. “We nailed it,” Vonn exclaimed, her enthusiasm palpable after the announcement. “Now we can get to work on making the Olympics an incredible experience for everyone.” And how is she going to do that? Let’s find out!

The Athletes Family Initiative – Vonn’s ambitious program for the 2034 Winter Olympics 

An Olympic gold medalist, Lindsey Vonn has experienced the thrill and excitement of the game firsthand. However, one overlooked aspect of sporting competition has troubled her throughout her career. ABC4 recently quoted her saying, “One of my biggest worries was trying to make sure family members could get to see me compete,” Vonn recalled. “It would have been so helpful to be able to focus exclusively on competing.”

The alpine skier who already runs the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, empowering young girls through sports and academics, has a plan; she calls it The Athletes Families Initiative. It’s a simple idea with the potential of a huge impact – help families be there for athletes without breaking the bank or losing their minds. In short, Vonn’s program is dedicated to providing comprehensive support to the Athlete’s families.

It will ensure easy access to tickets, transportation, and accommodations at fair costs. “We will create one or more villages for athletes families, including one right next to our Olympic and Paralympic village.” She further said, “Families matter in every culture, and in Utah, that is especially true.” Her initiative aims to bring the Olympic spirit back to what matters – the human stories and emotions behind medals.

The growing movement to keep Olympic families together

Vonn’s program addresses a long-standing challenge for Olympic athletes- being with their families during Olympic events. A recent example is Ivan Puskovitch’s mother. Ivan is an open-water swimmer who has qualified for the men’s 10-kilometer marathon swim event at the Paris Games for the USA. His mother, Robyn Rabinovitch, has to run a GoFundMe campaign to fund her travel to the Paris Olympics.

However, the star skier isn’t alone in such endeavors; other athletes are also coming forward to support the competing athletes and their families in the supreme sporting event. Allyson Felix, the 11x Olympic medalist (track and field), has come up with the plan of a child nursery right in the middle of the village plaza during the ongoing Paris Olympic events to support women athletes. Likewise, the 2008 Olympic balance beam gold medalist gymnast Shawn Johnson East has committed a fund of $250,000 to relieve the financial burdens of parents competing in the Paris Olympics.