“Lindsey Vonn’s mother is a shining light that will never fade, and he will forever inspire me,” the four-time Olympic skier wrote on Instagram on Saturday.
Lindsey Vonn’s mother, Linda Lindy Ann Lund, died a year after being diagnosed with ALS.
In a statement shared with news on Saturday, a representative of the 37-year-old Olympic champion confirmed the news. “Lindsey Vonn’s mother, Lindy Ann Lund, died Thursday evening of ALS, exactly one year from the date of her diagnosis,” the statement said.
“ALS is a deadly disease for which there is no cure.”
The statement added that Vonn was “deeply grateful for the time she spent with him following his diagnosis and for being by his side during his death from this deadly disease.” Donations in Lund’s honor will be made via an encouraged GoFundMe page. The athlete also took to Instagram on Saturday to share a photo gallery and a touching tribute to her mother. “My sweet mom, Lindy, lost her battle with ALS,” he wrote. “He fell asleep peacefully; I held his hand.”
Photos on the carousel have featured the mother-daughter duo over the years, from fond memories of Vonn as a child to recent pictures of the two. Also, in the tribute, Vaughn published excerpts from his memoirs, which he called “unfortunately deserved.”
“This book is faithful to my mother,” the quote reads. “He is my inspiration, not because of what he has done for my skiing career, but because his enduring positivity has made me the person I love, especially off the slopes. In every adversity I face, I find perspective and inspiration in it. Many hardships in his life only made him stronger, kinder, and more humble. This grit has shaped me from childhood; Whether I knew it then or not, I know it now.”
Vonn ended her message by greeting her mother directly, “Mom, I hope I can be as strong as you one day. I wish I approach each day with as much energy and optimism as you do.