Mara Anderson
It is with our deepest sympathies that we share the passing of Lindy Anne Krohn Lund, the beloved mother of Lindsey Vonn. Lindy passed away on Friday, August 26th, at the age of 70 due to complications of ALS
Lund was diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a year ago and then showed remarkable courage in her fight against this devastating disease. She was the proud mother of five children, a grandmother, a sister, a wife and a friend.
A lesson in grace and humility
Throughout her life, she showed a tenacious resilience to adversity while bestowing grace and love to those around her. In an Instagram post, Lindsey Vonn wrote of her mother, “My sweet mother Lindy has lost her battle with ALS. She passed away peacefully as I held her hand, exactly one year after her diagnosis. I am so grateful for every moment I had with her, but I am also thankful that she is no longer suffering and in peace. She was a shining light that will never fade and I will forever be inspired by her.”
Also included in her tribute on Instagram was an excerpt from Vonn’s memoir: “This book is dedicated to my mother. 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. Every adversity I have faced, I found perspective and inspiration from her. 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.”
A life of service to others
Lund was born in Bethlehem, PA, but moved as a young child to Hinsdale, Illinois and then eventually to North Oaks, Minnesota. She graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine in 1974 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. After graduating, she attended William Mitchell College of Law, earning a Doctor of Law degree in 1980. Lund’s legal career started with her serving three years as a public defender for the state of Minnesota, during which time she also worked as a rotation judge and then as a Welfare Appeals Referee. When the family moved to Vail, she started her private practice there, working out of the Vail Run buildings, owned by Chad Fleischer’s family.
She later returned to school and got her Alcohol and Drug Counselor license. After that, she worked at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Minnesota. On top of an already impressive resume of good works and a charitable spirit, she spent two years with Christ Presbyterian Church in Edina, MN, as an Executive Administrative Assistant. She often volunteered to watch children while their parents were busy with church programs.
The drive it took to support her children
In her book, Rise: My Story (HarperCollins, 2022), Vonn writes about a mother “who’d made such a tremendous sacrifice just giving birth to me, who’d driven from Minnesota to Colorado, 18 hours each way, so I could ski, and who’d spent the next 25 years surrendering whatever she had left for the good of my career, for the good of us kids, for the good of our family.”
The trips out to Colorado from Minnesota started when Lindsey was just 11 years old; they would travel to Vail to train for a few months at a time. Lindsey reports it was difficult for her mother to be away from the rest of the kids, but these training trips shaped her downhill skiing career. Later, they sold their house in Minnesota to move to Vail, where all the kids were enrolled at SSCV. Lindy worked at the SSCV part-time which gave them a welcome discount on their five tuitions but it also gave her a chance to be close to her kids. Additionally she volunteered at any races close to home, further showing her relentless commitment to being with her children every possible moment.
Once Vonn made the U.S Ski Team, she moved from Vail to Park City so, at that point, Lindy and the rest of the family moved back to Minnesota where the four younger children would finish high school.
A formidable athlete and shinning light to all
Before having a stroke while giving birth to Lindsey at 32, Lindy was an intimidating squash player, known to beat the men she played against regularly.
Her warmth and kindness were a blessing to anyone that knew Lindy, and her devotion to her family and her steadfast support of her children’s dreams never faltered. She will always be remembered for her shining positivity and incredible impact on everyone in her life. She is survived by children Lindsey Vonn, Karin Kildow, Laura Kildow her husband Paolo Bini, Dylan Kildow his wife Emily, Reed Kildow, and her three grandchildren. Her living siblings are Fred Krohn, Randy Krohn and Lisa Krohn.
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