Cindy Nelson

Vocation

Notable

Family

American skier who, by 1976, was know as America's best downhill racer. She was named to the 1972 Olympic team, but broke her hip and could not compete. In 1974, however, she won the World Cup. Her family provided Cindy with just the right environment to develop her athletic gifts. Her parents were ski-instructors who operated a resort in Lusten, Minnesota developed by her grandfather. She was third in a family of five children. Cindy competed in her first downhill race when she was only eleven. Even at that age she was very competitive and self-disciplined enough to undergo a grueling training schedule. She began training seriously for downhill when she was 15. At 20 Cindy was already a seasoned veteran on the American Olympic ski team. However, she crashed and dislocated a hip and spent the 1972 Olympics on crutches. Two years later, Cindy made a comeback and won her first World Cup race. She retired from international competition after the 1985 season with six World Cup wins, 26 podiums, and 123 top ten finishes. Link to Wikipedia biography