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Surrounded by young athletes from Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, each of whom held a balloon to represent one of her 82 World Cup wins and three Olympic medals, Lindsey Vonn was inducted into the last Saturday (Sept. 8) in her former hometown of Vail, Colorado.

During the presentation, the 39-year-old downhill legend joked that she likes “to do everything fast” and would win for fastest induction speech, which she indeed did, thanking former U.S. teammate Chad Fleischer and ski industry icon Bill Jensen for nominating her, her friends, family, and everyone who helped her along the way to becoming the winningest female skier of all time.

Vonn retired from racing in 2019 after clinching her eighth World Championship medal, becoming the only alpine skier in history to win medals in six World Championships. Her record for World Cup wins has since been usurped by teammate Mikaela Shiffrin, but Vonn’s relentless and fearless approach to downhill skiing, fighting back from numerous serious injuries, will always distinguish her.

“Oftentimes as an athlete, you are so focused and don’t take the time to look around and appreciate where all the hard work has gotten you,” Vonn told SKI during an interview before the Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday. “It’s so meaningful for me to be here now, to be recognized by my peers and all of these people that I grew up with who have shaped my life in some way, shape, or form. It’s a very full-circle moment and I don’t take anything for granted.”

On the Power of Hands-On Inspiration

After retiring from racing, Vonn sold her home in Vail and now splits her time between Park City, Utah and Miami, Florida. She is deeply involved in her nonprofit organization, the . Launched in 2015, the Foundation aims to support and inspire young girls to pursue their dreams, be they athletic, educational, or vocational. Since its inception, the Foundation has gifted more than a million dollars in scholarships and Vonn has personally participated in all but one Strong Girls camp, an annual event for 10- to 14-year-old girls designed to build confidence through obstacle courses, hiking excursions, and social activities.

“To be able to see the impact firsthand is what gives me so much pride and joy,” Vonn said. “The Strong Girls camp is where I get to see the transformation of a timid girl into a strong and confident girl. We’re trying to get girls who have goals and dreams that are not in your traditional female space—a lot of STEM girls, an aeronautical engineer who wants to be an engineer for NASA. Those are girls who dream big. They’re all driven in their own way. It’s about encouraging them to follow their own path and be strong enough to do that. Sometimes in this world of judgment and conformity, it’s hard to stand out. I want them to be uniquely themselves.”

On the 2034 Utah Winter Olympics

This past summer Vonn was instrumental in helping Salt Lake City, Utah . Part of the host city’s bid committee, which also included 2002 Winter Olympics Chief Operating Officer Fraser Bullock, Utah governor Spencer Cox, and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhal, Vonn launched the Athletes’ Families Initiative to help provide lodging, ticketing, and transportation support for Olympians’ families attending the Games. The Initiative was inspired by a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) written by Vonn’s mother, Linda Krohn Lund, who passed away in 2022 after a battle with ALS.

“When Fraser called me to be part of the bid, we walked through things I thought could be better,” Vonn recalled. “Supporting families was the No. 1 thing. When my mom passed, I found an email she had written to the president of IOC where she was asking him to provide better support for the families. That really sparked something in me to help. I think we’re going to do incredible things for families and athletes in 2034. That’s the tip of the iceberg, really. I want to help in any way I can,” she said. Plans for the first-ever Family Village are still coming together, but organizers have shared that the ideal location would be near the Athlete Village at the University of Utah.

Vonn also continues to help fellow athletes on the skiing side. Italian downhill star Sofia Goggia occasionally contacts Vonn for tactical advice and Vonn welcomes any opportunity to weigh in.

“I’m really happy to support my teammates. My door is always open,” she said, adding that keeping tabs on ski racing has become less emotional for her now that a few years have passed since retiring. “I can watch races now. I’m still like aww … that turn could be a little better. It’s nice to be a mentor in that way and still helping. Seeing my friends succeed even if I can’t be there is always good to see.”

On the Future of North American Ski Racing

Vonn was, of course, dismayed when her most successful racing venue, Lake Louise, Alberta—dubbed, over the course of the 18 World Cup victories she notched there over the years, “Lake Lindsey”—was removed from the World Cup competition calendar. Nonetheless, she is pleased that the women will instead compete on the famed Birds of Prey course at Beaver Creek this December following the venue’s long standing men’s races.

When Beaver Creek hosted the 2015 World Championships, women competed on a downhill course adjacent to the notoriously steep and technical Birds of Prey course, but Vonn got a taste of the men’s course earlier that season when Beaver Creek hosted last-minute women’s races after they were cancelled in Val d’Isère, France.

“I had so much fun racing that course,” she said. “I’m sad that Lake Louise is gone, but at least Beaver Creek picked it up. It’s amazing that it’s still in North America. I think that will really help ski racing for women in the United States. It’s a platform to get people excited about women’s ski racing. I will definitely watch in complete FOMO-jealousy mode, but just the fact there’s races there for women is meaningful for me. I’m happy to be cheering them on.”

On Her Recent Knee Replacement

Following numerous knee injuries and subsequent surgeries during her racing career and beyond, Vonn made the decision in April to get a partial right knee replacement. Although she doesn’t anticipate being a surprise entry for the women’s Birds of Prey downhill race, she plans to hit the slopes hard this season.

“In the future I’ll probably need another partial on the other side or a full replacement, but it’s changed my life completely,” she admitted. “I don’t think about my knee. My knee doesn’t hurt. I’ve been road biking, weightlifting … I can do anything. I’m finally not in pain all the time. It feels amazing. I’m going to do a lot of skiing. I’m excited for it.”