A Legacy of Strength: Honoring Lindy Krohn Lund ’74

This fall, Colby will host the Lindsey Vonn Foundation’s #STRONGgirls camp, where girls will spend the day building confidence, connecting with local mentors, and learning about their mental and physical health.

A group of local middle school girls from the Waterville area will participate in the #STRONGgirls camp. This event marks a meaningful homecoming for the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, as it returns to the very community where its family’s enduring spirit of resilience took root.

“The work they do nationwide to inspire and empower young people to become confident leaders and to develop strong character through sport aligns seamlessly with our student-centered approach,” said Amanda DeMartino, Harold Alfond Director of Athletics. “We are proud to help host such a terrific organization whose mission is rooted in education through sport, enabling them to share their curriculum with the greater Waterville youth community.”

The campers will join a tradition of strong women, including the inspiring legacy of Lindy Krohn Lund ’74, mother of international alpine ski champion Lindsey Vonn. Lund passed away in 2022 at the age of 70 due to complications from ALS.

Long before Lund became known for her positivity, sense of sacrifice, and charitable spirit, she moved from Minnesota to Mayflower Hill in 1970 to attend Colby.

Her time at Colby was a period of self-discovery. Lund attended college when women had fewer varsity sports opportunities, but she stayed active through her sorority, volunteering in the community, and cheering on sports teams.

“Title IX was established while we were students, and I remember one of the first women’s teams at Colby was ice hockey,” Deb Wathen Finn ’74 said. “While Lindy did not join the team herself, she became one of its staunchest champions. This speaks volumes about how she raised her children and influenced Lindsey to become such a powerful role model for young women.”

Lund graduated with a degree in psychology in 1974. After Colby, Lund earned her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul in 1980. She attended classes at night while working as a public defender for the state of Minnesota during the day. Lund worked as a public defender for three years before becoming a welfare appeals referee, a hearing officer empowered to make legal decisions in disputes over public assistance.

Lund faced many challenges in her life, including the birth of her first child, Lindsey, in 1984, when she was 32. After visiting the emergency room for what she thought was a bad headache, Lund suffered a stroke and needed an emergency cesarean to deliver her daughter. Her life was in peril after the delivery, and her recovery was long and uncertain, requiring physical therapy to regain her ability to walk.

Following her recovery from the life-altering stroke, Lund returned to work, had four more children – including a set of triplets – and helped her community whenever possible. She was unable to perform the physical activities she once could, so she focused her time and energy on her children and community.

Before Vonn became one of the world’s greatest ski racers, Lund provided the steady support behind her dreams. As Vonn’s love for skiing grew, Lund drove long distances to provide the best training and supported her in other ways.

Lund moved to Vail, Colo., so Vonn could train for the Olympics. To cover the costs of relocation and training, Lund opened her own law practice in Vail after passing the Colorado bar exam.

Injuries have been a constant throughout Vonn’s career. During those tough times of pain and recovery, she thought of her mother and felt motivated to persevere. In her book, Rise: My Story, Vonn writes about always feeling connected to her mother’s story of surviving a stroke, which made her feel both guilty and responsible to be as strong as her mother.

“I always carried my mom’s experience with me,” Vonn wrote. “When I was hurt, my mind returned to her. I’d taken strength from her struggle, that sense I’d carried that her refusal to quit meant I couldn’t, either.”

Later in her career, Lund returned to school to earn her alcohol and drug counselor license, then worked for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.

Lund faced her final challenge when she was diagnosed with ALS in 2021. Adjusting to her condition, Lund focused on spending time with her family. She died a year later.

Vonn dedicated her book to her mother, writing, “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.”

The Lindy Krohn Lund Memorial Fund at Colby was created to honor Lund’s impact on others. The Lindsey Vonn Foundation started the fund with a $50,000 gift. Today, the fund provides financial aid to students who demonstrate Lund’s qualities of perseverance, positivity, grit, and leadership. This support helps more students access Colby’s education and resources, no matter their financial situation.

This year’s recipient, Serafina Applegate ’29, an ice hockey goalie from Lexington, Mass., carries forward the same spirit of athleticism that Lund modeled decades prior.

While Lund had initially intended to join the women’s ice hockey team during her tenure on Mayflower Hill, she reconsidered following a plea from her mother. Although she never competed on the rink, her passion for the sport remained.

“What has been most meaningful are the connections I have formed with classmates, teammates, professors, coaches, athletic trainers, Waterville community members, and more, thanks to the special, tight-knit Colby community,” said Applegate.

Beyond the rink, Applegate’s commitment to leadership and social justice is evident in her active participation in the Colby Cares About Kids program and her volunteer work with MaineGeneral’s Harm Reduction program. Those close to Applegate commend her leadership, perseverance, and grit, all qualities that honor the memory of Lindy Krohn Lund ’74.

“I have been able to pursue and balance these diverse opportunities thanks to the Lindy Krohn Lund Memorial Fund and Colby’s financial support, which have allowed me to focus my time and energy on excelling as a student-athlete and to pursue unpaid medical research, which would otherwise not be possible,” Applegate shared.