Who is Lindsey Vonn's father Alan Kildow? A profile of the former junior national ski champion and attorney

Alan Kildow is so much more than the father of Olympic skiing great Lindsey Vonn. Even before Kildow's daughter was the biggest ski star in the world, he developed his own sizable identity as a fast young ski racer and then a prominent attorney. He was once a junior national skiing champion in America; his collegiate athletic career ended with injury, but his love of winter sports endured.Kildow channeled his competitive instincts not into skiing but into education, law, and coaching future generations. He was essential to the early development of Lindsey Vonn, introducing her to skiing, coaching her, and building the bedrock of her record-setting career. That bond, and the direction it took her in life and competitive pursuit, is one of the defining chapters in the American alpine skiing narrative. Alan Kildow grew up in Minnesota and quickly became known as one of the best young ski racers in the nation. He trained with esteemed coach Erich Sailer during his teenage years, before enjoying considerable success on the junior circuit with wins at the national level and being billed as a player with a bright future. Then, his raw talent and potential got him the chance to train in Europe, even for a short while ,amongst some of the best athletes in the world.ID@undefined Caption not available.Kildow was on track for a long career in competition, but life had different plans. He was just 18 when a serious knee injury dashed his racing dreams overnight. That was a crushing blow, but it did not sever his bond with the game. Instead of walking away from the sport, he continued to be part of ski racing, coaching and mentoring the next generations of athletes, sharing his expertise and insights. That decision would soon influence the future of his own family.After his competitive days were over, Alan Kildow turned his attention to academics and professional life. He got a law degree, and over the years, had a respectable career in Minnesota as a commercial litigation attorney at major law firms, focusing on complex business disputes. While his family relied on his law career for their livelihood, skiing never strayed far from his heart.As soon as Kildow saw Lindsey ski, he knew he had a future superstar on his hands. Her training consumed him; he took her to her practices, arranged for coaching, enforced discipline, and demanded focus. His family faced one of its most important challenges early on, when he made the decision to relocate from Minnesota to Vail, Colorado, where Lindsey Vonn could train in a more competitive atmosphere.