Lindsey Vonn Hits the Ski Slopes with Aiglon Students

Aiglon College welcomed Lindsey Vonn, Olympic ski champion and Aiglon Ski Ambassador, back to campus for a two-and-a-half-day visit this week.

Lindsey spent her time on the local slopes, working closely with the school’s high-performance ski race team, including the new Head of High Performance Athletes and Sport Innovation, Jamie Willcocks and Aiglon ski coach team. Their collaboration included on-slope drills, video review sessions, and strategy discussions.

Alongside her work with the high-performance team, Lindsey also worked with the larger ski development team, a number of junior students and even met a few of the local ski schools and clubs. She also spent time familiarising herself with the local resort.

Lindsey’s role as ambassador, however, goes beyond just the ski slopes. Ski racers or not, the school and local community were delighted to welcome Lindsey on stage alongside sports presenter James Cooper. The audience was captivated by the in-depth conversation between James and Lindsey, which provided a broader understanding of Lindsey’s journey beyond her skiing achievements and the lessons her remarkable career offers to all.

“I think sports teaches us all that we can overcome obstacles; every failure is an opportunity to learn,” Lindsey told James during their hour-long conversation. “I don’t take any failure as a negative, I take it as a big positive. Obviously, some failures are harder than others; you know, when we fall, sometimes we fall really hard, and especially in my case, I’ve fallen a few too many times, but every time taught me something. I’m a stronger person because of it.”

The interview included various student questions and covered Lindsey’s current experiences in her entrepreneurial roles since ending her racing career. “Skiing is just an opportunity to become a stronger person mentally and physically and use that knowledge in the real world,” Lindsey said, reinforcing a holistic vision of sports that is also important for the school. It was a unique opportunity for the school and the local community to share such a special time. After the event, the room was abuzz with people enjoying speaking to Lindsey. A few race team members were still discussing the day’s training, making the most of each opportunity.

In addition to working together on the slopes, the race teams utilised their time with Lindsey at the new 'Aigon Basecamp' to review video technical analyses. They examined their techniques, body positions, execution of turns, lines, and approaches to the race course and gates they had navigated earlier that morning. Lindsey provided insights on refining their ski positions to enhance their overall strategy.

 
The students also enjoyed a fondue dinner at a favourite mountain restaurant, introducing Lindsey to a classic experience known by Aiglonians of all generations. The two days were a great opportunity for the school community and Lindsey to get to know one another more personally as this partnership develops.

“For me, it's really rewarding because I love skiing so much, and to see other kids loving the sport like I do and wanting to learn, and me trying to help them, was really incredible,” Lindsey said to James after a day working with the race team. “Those are the best moments I experience as an athlete, or as a former athlete, is to be able to share my experiences and to be able to help others better themselves. I had a blast.”