Lindsey Van

In 2009, Lindsey became the first World Champion in women’s ski jumping after winning the first World Championships to allow women to compete. She’s the only American (male or female) to win a Gold at a World Ski Jumping Championships.

Lindsey is a 15-time U.S. national ski jumping champion (normal and large hills) and she has more than 50 top-three finishes internationally, including eight wins. She also holds the North American women’s record with a jump of 171 meters. Before the Olympic Games in 2010, she held the hill record for men and women in Vancouver, which was 105.5 meters.

Since she was 9, she’s dreamed of being an Olympian. Lindsey has been ski jumping for 20 years — that’s about 20,000 jumps.

Lindsey has had her fair share of injuries. She’s endured back-to-back summer surgeries on her ankle (last year) and knee (this year). Last year she finished 5th in the world.

But what she’s most proud of so far in her life is her decision to become a bone marrow donor. In 2011, she learned she was a bone marrow match for a man suffering from Leukemia. She was able to donate twice that year and later learned that the man’s cancer was in remission.

Born: November 27, 1984 in Grosse Pointe, MI
Hometown: Park City, UT
School: University of Utah
Longest Jump: 171m, North American women’s record
Noted Accomplishments:
• 2009 World Champion
• 15-time National Champion
• 5th Place Overall 2012 World Cup
• 3rd Place Overall 2007 COC
• 2nd Place Overall 2005 & 2006 Women’s COC

See Lindsey's COC and WC career at FIS's website.