Lindsey Vonn

Known as the most successful female ski racer in American history, and now girlfriend of Tiger Woods, Lindsey Vonn is one of the few world-class, four-event ski racers. She is the only American woman to have captured downhill gold at the Olympics and the only American woman with three World Cup overall titles. Six weeks after she turned 20, Vonn (then Kildow) produced her first World Cup victory in Lake Louise, Alberta. She has since captured a U.S. record 33 World Cup wins, including a seven downhill victories in Lake Louise. In addition to her 2010 Olympic downhill gold and super G bronze, she holds four World Championship medals including two gold in 2009.

The 2010 season came with extreme reward for Vonn along with extreme pain. After a giant slalom crash early in the year resulting in a severely bruised right arm, she skied with a brace the remainder of the year. A pre Olympic training crash also resulted in a deep shin bruise and a fall in the Olympic giant slalom forced her to defend her World Cup titles with a broken finger. Goal for 2011 – defend World Cup and World Championships titles and cut back on the giant slalom crashes.

Vonn spent the spring healing her body on the red carpet with appearances at the Emmy's, Academy of Country Music Awards, Met Costume Gala, White House Correspondents Dinner and even hosted the Race to Erase MS charity event in Los Angeles. Later, during a golf event in Monterey Vonn notched a hole-in-one during only her second career 18-hole outing. Oh, and she won 2010 ESPYS for Best Female Athlete, the highest female honor in sports, and the Best Female Olympic Athlete Awared.

Following the celebrity tour, she went back to her roots hitting the gym with the vigor that made her famous with her sights set on the 2011 season that includes the World Championships at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

LINDSEY SAYS My goal coming into the Olympics was to win one medal, and I have one gold and one bronze. I am incredibly happy and proud of those accomplishments. I gave it 110 percent; I left it all on the hill and I have no regrets whatsoever. I left the Olympics happy, because I gave it everything I have, and I’m very proud to be a part of this successful Olympic team.

The entire season meant the world to me. If you had asked me at the beginning of the season if I'd have been able to not only win Olympic medals but defend my World Cup titles and add the combined, I would have said 'not likely.' It takes a lot of hard work, not only by me, but from the team, from U.S. Ski Team coaches, from my husband, from Red Bull and my ski company Head. It's everyone working together to make as successful a season as possible and I couldn't do it without them.

The season was awesome for our entire team. We've had some amazing successes. The U.S. is definitely a major force on the World Cup and in the Olympics and I'm really looking forward to next season and the World Championships.

FIRST TRACKS Growing up in the Twin Cities area (in Burnsville), Vonn was on skis at two before moving into Erich Sailer's renowned program at Buck Hill. She commuted to Vail for a couple of years before the Kildow family (her maiden name) moved to Vail in the late Nineties. En route to the World Cup, she excelled at every level – Junior Olympics, Trofeo Topolino, Whistler Cup (kids 11-14), Junior Worlds, NorAms and Europa Cup.

OFF THE SNOW Vonn is a TV darling having appeared on the NBC's Today Show, Tonight Show in addition to the Ellen Degeneres Show and Oprah. But likely the biggest TV appearance (sans Olympics) of her life was guest starring in the final episode of Law & Order, who's 20-year run ended with Vonn playing a school secretary who helps crack the case. Vonn had joked for years that she would play a "stiff" just to get a part in her favorite show. The 2010 season also saw her on the cover of Sports Illustrated (twice) in addition to hundreds of other magazine placements.

Away from the media, she's into tennis, baking and just hanging out. Future plans include having a family, but that may have to wait until after the 2015 season when her home mountain of Vail, CO hosts the World Championships. In the meantime, she'll have to settle for watching over her farm family. After winning a cow with victory in the 2005 Val d'Isere, France downhill, whom she promptly named Olympe, the heard has grown to five and also includes a goat. All reside outside of Kirchberg, Austria.

2010 World Cup - Overall , downhill, super G and super combined champion - American record 11 wins in a single season - American record 33 World Cup victories

2010 Olympic Winter Games - gold in downhill - bronze in super G

2009 FIS Alpine World Championships - gold in downhill - gold in super G

2009 World Cup - Overall, downhill and super G champion

2008 World Cup - Overall and downhill champion

2007 FIS Alpine World Championships - silver in downhill - silver in super G

OTHER - 2010 ESPYS for Best Female Athlete and Best Female Olympic Athlete - 2010 Beck International Award Winner - 2010 USOC Athlete of the Year