My name is Lindsey Van, though many people just call me Van. I’m a ski jumper on the U.S. Ski Team and I love to fly!

When I was 7, I gave the sport a try when my family moved from Detroit, Michigan, to Park City, Utah, to live in a ski community. I was immediately hooked by the speed, the rush, and the adrenaline.

Ski jumping feels different from anything I have ever done, something I have a hard time describing.

My whole family enjoys ski jumping, and my twin brother, Brandon, even jumped competitively for three years. Even though he quit when we were younger, I stuck with it and started training year round at the age of 10. I have been traveling and competing internationally ever since. I have worked my way up through the ranks and I now hold the North American jump record at 171 meters, and have consistently been ranked in the top 10 internationally.

I graduated from Park City High School in 2003, and began attending the University of Utah in the fall of 2004. No, I have not graduated yet, but I am on the accelerated 10-year plan. I am a junior and studying for a degree in Exercise Sports Science. I hope to do something in the sports world when I finally get my diploma, most likely coaching. I really enjoy watching and helping kids “get it” for the first time. I believe more women need to be involved in coaching, especially in a sport that is rapidly growing with more and more females.

In my spare time, I like to spend time with friends, travel, and participate in many other sports such as alpine skiing, telemark skiing, water skiing, hiking, biking, soccer, volleyball, and yoga. I have really been into yoga in the past five years, and when I sustained a knee injury last winter I found it to be a great release and distraction for me as I was recovering.

During my knee rehabilitation I have also been working at Alpine Sports Medicine in Park City as a Physical Therapist Aide. I truly enjoy helping injured people get healthy again, and return to sport.

In August I returned to training and jumping again, and we are now back on the road competing. It was great to have a much-needed break, but it is wonderful to be jumping again and doing the sport I love. I am looking forward to the winter season and our first World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic, in February 2009.