Known as the most successful female ski racer in American history - and quickly gaining on "all time" status - Lindsey Vonn is one of the few world-class, four-event ski racers. She is the only American woman to ever capture downhill gold at the Olympics and the only American woman with four 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 59 World Cup wins. In addition to her 2010 Olympic downhill gold and super G bronze, she holds five World Championship medals, including double gold in 2009.

The 2013 season proved to be riddled with challenges for Vonn. After entering the winter in the best shape of her life, she was walloped by a post-Soelden stomach bug that landed her in the hospital. She bounced back just in time to sweep the Lake Louise speed series in early December, but was totally drained and opted to take an extended rest a few weeks later. It was the first break she'd taken from the World Cup tour since she began racing.

Ultimately it was a six-race hiatus, but she returned in time for the January speed series. She locked in one more downhill win in Cortina d'Ampezzo, which was just enough to score her sixth straight World Cup downhill title – a record for both men and women. Primed and ready to rock at the World Championships in February, Vonn crashed during the opening race, tearing her ACL/MCL and ending her season.

All things considered, she locked a women's record 17th World Cup crystal globe and ended up well within range of toppling Annemarie Moser-Proell’s World Cup win record of 62. Plus, with the drive of someone like Vonn, recovering strong will not be an issue.

LINDSEY SAYS
I have no doubt I will be ready for Sochi. Honestly, in a worst-case scenario, if I trained a week before the Games, I’d be fine.

Basically what happened in Schladming was I came into that jump going a little bit faster, or I don't know if I just hit the jump wrong, but I feel like I flew a lot further than the other girls. When I landed, the snow was just different. The snow was soft. It was not slick, basically, and my right ski just stopped and my knee buckled.

It is always an honor to win a title, even if I wish I had done it by competing alongside my teammates over the past month. I hope they will bring home many more titles this season. This only fuels me to work even harder to get back out on the mountain as soon as I can.

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 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 media mogul. From her roots in small town Minnesota, she has become a regular on "Most Marketable" athlete lists. It's no wonder companies like Under Armour and Kohls have picked her up for national television commercials. Grab any major magazine and she's probably been in it – Glamour, Women's Health, People – to name a few. Or on the cover – Fitness, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, TV Guide – to name a few more.

Out of her ski boots, she swings a mean tennis racquet and golf club. After recording a hole-in-one during one of her first full 18 holes, Vonn is now a staple at charity tournaments. But if you ask her about her favorite thing to do beside ski, she'll tell you it's all about spending time with her family, especially her "schwesters."