Lindsey Vonn and Her Four Siblings Lost Their Mother in 2022 — the Family Was Always Close

When it comes to challenges and losses, Olympian Lindsey Vonn knows a thing or two about both. The Olympic alpine skier has one gold medal and two bronze medals to her name, but the 2026 Winter Olympics were fraught to say the least. Leading up to the games, Lindsey tore her ACL following a severe crash in Crans Montana, Switzerland on Jan. 30, 2026. She had to be airlifted to the hospital. A little over a week later, Lindsey broke her leg during a women's downhill event.

The injury Lindsey sustained required surgery, per ESPN. It's safe to say this might be her last Olympic run. This will undoubtedly be a heartbreaking end to an incredible career. It certainly isn't the first time Lindsey has dealt with a painful experience. Back in August 2022, she and her family lost the skier's mother. Keep reading for more details.

In a post to Instagram dated Aug. 27, 2022, Lindsey revealed that her mother lost a year-long battle with ALS, which is widely known as Lou Gehrig's disease. She also shared a photo of her four siblings in an Instagram Story, captioning, "The best siblings anyone could ask for," per People. "We were all strong together for mom, and I know she is proud."

Lindsey also shared the dedication to her mother from her 2022 memoir Rise: My Story. "She is my inspiration not because of what she did for my skiing career, but how her perpetual positivity shaped me into the person I am on, and most importantly, off the slopes," she wrote. "Throughout the many hardships in her life, they only made her stronger, kinder, and more humble. That type of grit is what shaped me since I was a child; whether I knew it then or not, I know it now."

In an interview with 60 Minutes, Lindsey said her dad taught her how to ski. When asked about his coaching style, she said he was a "hard-a-- ... but in a good way." He facilitated her dream of becoming a professional skier. Alan Kildow was a national junior champion before he blew his knee out at the age of 18, per The Washington Post. He later became an attorney but coached skiing while going to college. Lindsey said hearing him yell from the sidelines was comforting.

Lindsey's family watched from the grandstands as she crashed, and was subsequently airlifted to a hospital in Italy. "That definitely was the last thing we wanted to see," said her sister Karin Kildow to NBC correspondent Cara Banks. "When that happens you’re just like immediately hoping she’s OK."

Karin wasn't alone in witnessing Lindsey's horrible accident, reported TIME. Her sister Laura was with her, along with Alan. As Lindsey hit the ground, Karin screamed while Laura flinched. Alan was silent before wiping his eyes from behind his sunglasses. Both sisters were extremely worried after Lindsey injured herself nine days prior. Afterwards, Alan didn't have much to say other than he wanted to see his daughter. "I think she’s pretty badly hurt."