Skiing
Lindsey Vonn: 7 surprising details behind the alpine legend
With Lindsey Vonn's comeback continuing to gather speed, we look at some of the more leftfield facts that reveal the personality behind one of skiing's greatest winning machines.
We all know Lindsey Vonn for her staggering career numbers - 82 World Cup wins, four overall titles, 16 discipline titles, Olympic gold, double world Champion - and her inspiring comeback which saw her back on the slopes at the age of 40 with a rebuilt knee. But did you know that she once won a cow? Or played tennis against Roger Federer on a mountain top? Read on for the full story of these facts and others like them.
01
She graced the cover of Time Magazine - and dedicated it to her mom
In October 2025, ahead of the new alpine ski season - which could potentially include a trip to a certain Italian ski resort in February - Vonn appeared on the cover of prestigious US news weekly, Time Magazine. In her interview, she discussed the challenges of her surprise comeback to competitive alpine skiing in 2024, her motivation and her hopes for the future, saying: "At 41, I’m still chasing dreams, still pushing limits, still believing in what’s possible. My hope is that anyone reading this remembers: never give up on yourself. Never stop dreaming."
In an emotional Instagram post, she also revealed the personal significance of appearing on the Time cover: "I can’t quite put into words what this means to me. Time was always one of my mom’s favorite magazines. I can still see her in bed in Minnesota, reading each issue intently - ice cream in hand. I know she would be proud."
02
She won a cow - more than once
Lindsey Vonn and Winnie
© ASP Red Bull/Red Bull Content Pool
It first happened in 2005, when Lindsey chose a cow over a check for €5,000 for her win in Val d’Isère, France. She named it Olympe because it was an Olympic season. It then turned out that the cow was pregnant, and soon gave birth to a calf, Sunny. Later Olympe had another calf that Vonn named Karin, after her sister. Then Sunny had two calves, a male and a female, that Vonn named Don and Shirley after her grandparents.
In 2009, when she won gold at the World Championships she received a goat that she named Laura, after her other sister. Both the cows and the goat went to live near Kirchberg, Austria.
In 2014, Lindsey won a new calf for the victory in Val d’Isère. This addition to Lindsey’s herd was named Winnie, after her physiotherapist Lindsay Winninger.
03
She's involved with sailing - on and off the water
In 2024, Vonn was pictured enjoying a training session with the US SailGP team on New York's Hudson River. However, the jaunt as 'sixth sailor' wasn't a sign of an impending career change, but more a perk of her new role on the board, where she hopes to help guide the team with her experience in brand strategy and partnerships.
It's not the first time she's been pictured at the sharp end of the sailing world, either. In 2017, Vonn joined Oracle Team USA's AC45 catamaran, alongside skipper Jimmy Spithill, for a spot of America's Cup training. "I was nervous because I didn't want to mess up," she commented. "But then as I got comfortable, I started asking to do more things to challenge myself. I got to do some grinding and I put the foils down. You can tell visually that you're rising out of the water on the foils. An incredible experience.”
Lindsey Vonn is never afraid to have a go
© Sam Greenfield and Riccardo Pinto/Red Bull Content Pool
04
She loves dogs - and one of them guided her through rehab
In January 2014, Vonn adopted a nine-month-old dog, Leo, from an animal shelter. He'd been abandoned in a park and then hit by a car. Like Vonn herself, Leo underwent a knee operation. Leo accompanied her as a kindred spirit through the rehab and helped her to get back to her best. Leo is still going strong in 2025, having achieved celebrity status on his own - you can follow his adventures on Instagram via the VonnDogs account – along with more than 37,000 others - and meet Chase, the latest addition to the pack, while you're on there.
05
She a keen tennis player - and went up against Roger Federer on a mountain top
Vonn loves to play tennis and was a die-hard fan of now-retired Swiss tennis champion Roger Federer. After they met in 2009, she attended Federer’s games at several majors. They even played an exhibition game at the Swiss Aletsch glacier at 3,454m above sea level. Federer won, but Vonn held her own. Since then she's upped her game to the extent that in 2025 she was confident enough to label it 'a legit form of cross training."
06
She has four siblings - and a 'twin' sister lookalike
Vonn has two sisters and two brothers. She grew up in a family of snow enthusiasts, with brother Reed also having ski raced previously. Laura and the two brothers Reed and Dylan are triplets, but her sister Karin looks like she could be Lindsey’s twin. Can you guess who's who?
Discover the story of ski icon Lindsey Vonn
07
She's a fan of Law & Order - and appeared in an episode
Lindsey was a huge fan of the US show Law & Order. She used to watch it before going to bed or while working out. When NBC discontinued the series in spring 2010, she appeared as a guest star in the final episode. She played an administrative assistant at a teachers' union, trying to help the detectives to find an anonymous blogger who threatened to blow up a school. Afterwards she commented that she might consider future acting jobs.
