Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn, the iconic American alpine skier, paid a heartfelt tribute to her coach Erich Sailer in honor of his 99th birthday. Sailer was one of Vonn's first formal coaches and was also a mentor of her father Alan Kildow earlier in his career.
Vonn reached the pinnacle of alpine skiing after training under several great coaches, one of whom was the Austrian legend Erich Sailer who was inducted into the US National Ski Hall of Fame in 2005. Sailer, a pioneering figure in popularizing summer ski training in North America, also mentored other Olympic athletes like Kristina Koznick, Julia Mancuso, Sarah Schleper, and Resi Stiegler.
For his immense contributions to alpine skiing, the 99-year-old icon was honored with several prestigious accolades, including the first USSA’s Development Coach of the Year in 1998 and the Ski Coach of the Year. Sailer was also honored with the USSA’s Tom Reynolds Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
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Sailer recently celebrated his 99th birthday and his former protégé Lindsey Vonn took to her Instagram stories to share a picture of the duo and wrote:
"Happy 99th birthday to Erich Sailer, my coach from growing up in Minnesota!"
She reminisced about her coach and her father in a subsequent story, sharing an old newspaper clipping and writing:
"Erich was also my Dad's coach."
In a career spanning 15 years, Vonn cemented her legacy as one of the sport's all-time greats by winning three Olympic medals (one gold and two bronze), eight World Championship medals (two gold, three silver, and three bronze), and 20 World Cup crystal globes.
"He told me no one ever made money off of ski racing" - Lindsey Vonn on her father's advice to look beyond just skiing
Lindsey Vonn began skiing at the tender age of three under the guidance of her father, who had previously won a junior national championship title, and grandfather, both of whom were avid skiers. At the age of nine, she took part in her first international event and went on to become one of the most decorated skiers in history.
Despite her immense success, Vonn once shared in an interview with The Path hosted by LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky that her father had advised her to look beyond skiing for financial security.
"My dad told me when I was very young that no one ever made any money off of ski racing, so I had to be more than an athlete," she said.
Lindsey Vonn has invested in several business ventures like alternative meat options, AI-based fitness apps, and women's sports teams.
