Lindsey Vonn Captivated by Young Fan’s Triumph in Iconic Skiing Feat

More than a decade ago, the World Alpine Ski Championships in Vail, Colorado, renamed the women’s speed events location in Lindsey Vonn‘s honor. After Vonn took home the gold in Whistler Blackcomb’s downhill in her debut competition. ‘Vonn’ reads the new trail sign that greets skiers and snowboarders in remembrance of her success story following that event.

Vail serves as a haven for a broad spectrum of skiers, with an annual snowfall of about 370 inches. In similar sprits, Vonn’s response to a young fan’s heartfelt tribute in Vail this season brought notice to the iconic alpine skiing site.

Lindsey Vonn welcomes newest member to her fan army

Vonn, 39, often spends her time in the serene mountains and occasionally shares pictures from her skiing trips. The roles were reversed in a post on X by @Melissa61321496, which read, “@lindseyvonn this girl is a forever fan! She chose to be you for her wax museum project and has now conquered your run at Vail! Thank you for your inspiration!,” to which Vonn replied, “Awww I love it!!” with teary eyes and red heart emoji. 

The highlights of Vonn’s 2010 Winter Olympics were beating long-standing American rival Julia Mancuso by 0.56 seconds and becoming the first female American to win an Olympic gold medal in the discipline. Recalling the Vancouver 2010 Games, the 39-year-old told Olympics.com, “That win changed everything.”

Vonn also shared, “Since I was nine years old, I had dreamed of winning the Olympics,” while crediting her supporting parents. She retired with a total of 82 World Cup victories on February 10, 2019, later, Mikaela Shiffrin eclipsed her record in January 2023. In case you missed the ages-old update, here’s why Vail is significant to the veteran alpine skier.

Despite being born in Burnsville, Minnesota, Vonn started traveling to Vail with her family when she started to show promise in alpine skiing at an early age. Later in the 1990s, she relocated to Vail to improve her training which was reflected by her several successful skiing records. After several victories, the Vail ski area operator, Vail Resorts, announced the name change at a Whistler, British Columbia, celebration making it a rare lifetime reward for Vonn.

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