Lindsey Van was born in Detroit and has a twin brother named Brandon.
She says she knew from a young age she wanted to be an Olympian. She and her Women's Ski Jumping USA teammate, Jessica Jerome, were the first to sign on to a gender discrimination lawsuit against the Vancouver Organizing Committee in 2008.
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Lindsey is a 13-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 says one of the most proud moments in her life was her decision to become a bone marrow donor. In 2011, she learned she was a bone marrow match for a man suffering from Leukemia and was able to donate to help save his life.
Competition date:
Feb. 11
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