A Boston Blickbild Exclusive
Last weekend was full of newsworthy stories: Elisabeth Goergl's first World Cup win in two years, Marie-Michelle Gagnon's first World Cup win, Larisa Yurkiw qualifying for the Olympics after being dropped by her federation, Maria Hoefl-Riesch's two podium finishes, and Felix Neureuther being the first German since 1973 to win a giant slalom race. But those stories pale in comparison to the most non-newsworthy story of the week: Lindsey Vonn adopting a dog with a bad knee from an animal shelter. The others have reported this story almost to death, so we would normally avoid it like high voltage wires. But, as usual, we have our unique spin on the doggie adoption. One of our intrepid reporters was able to talk with Lindsey's sister Laura Kildow about it. Let's find out what she has to say.
BB: Laura, how is your blog coming along? Are you planning to have your adventures traveling with Lindsey made into a book?
Kildow: I stopped blogging after Lindsey was injured in Schladming. But I am hoping to resume once she has fully recovered and is ready to break the record for World Cup victories.
BB: Would that be Annemarie Moser-Proell's record of 62 or Ingemar Stenmark's 86 wins?
Kildow: Stenmark's of course. Sixty-two wins would be nothing for Lindsey. But no other woman would be able to get 86. She wants to set the bar so high that nobody else, man or woman, will ever catch her and her record will never be broken. But I hope that my adventures with the greatest ski racer of all time could be turned into a book or even a movie.
BB: Anything is possible with a good editor. (short pause) Let's talk about the dog that your sister recently adopted.
Kildow: He is named Leo and he's 9 months old.
BB: He also has a bad knee from an accident when he was a puppy.
Kildow: Who needs four legs anyway? We people only have two and we function fine.
BB: That is true. But while most dogs have four legs, Leo only has three good ones.
Kildow: Right. Lindsey picked him out especially because he has a bad knee. They are made for each other.
BB: Lindsey plans on having surgery soon to repair the ACL that she re-tore last November. What will Leo do during that time?
Kildow: Tiger or I would take care of him. Anyway, after Lindsey recovers from her surgery, Leo will have his leg operated on.
BB: Will Dr. Sterrett operate on Leo after he does Lindsey's surgery?
Kildow: I don't think so. I'm pretty sure that a veterinarian will operate on him.
BB: When Leo recovers from his operation, will he be going to the gym with Lindsey?
Kildow: Of course! They will do their rehab exercises together and will be able to run a marathon together in no time at all.
BB: Will they go together to the special Red Bull training center near Salzburg?
Kildow: Probably. Lindsey is already training Leo to drink lots of Red Bull. I don't think that he will ever drink as much as she does though.
BB: Let's imagine for a moment that Leo is not a superhuman rehabber like Lindsey and his leg stays bad. Will he compete in the upcoming Canine Paralympics?
Kildow: I think that Lindsey will enter Leo in the Canine Paralympics only if he can get a gold medal. A silver or bronze medal isn't good enough for such an extraordinary dog. If it looks like he won't be able to win a gold medal, he can watch the Canine Paralympics at home with Lindsey.
BB: Lindsey is planning on making the comeback of the century next season and will be traveling all over Europe. What will she do with Leo?
Kildow: He will come with us in our special camper.
BB: Who will walk Leo and pick up his droppings when you're traveling all over Europe?
Kildow: Oh I don't believe that anyone thought about that. I will probably be the one to do it since Lindsey will be racing and training.
BB: Marcel Hirscher's former seeing eye dog Whitey is now the official Austrian team mascot. Will Leo become the US Ski Team's new mascot?
Kildow: Does that mean that the other members of the ski team will pick up his droppings?
BB: I don't know about that. You will have to talk to the others and ask them. Do you think that Leo and Whitey will play together at races?
Kildow: I don't think so. Leo is very special. Lindsey doesn't want him mixing with ordinary dogs.
BB: Whitey is rather special because she got to participate in men's ski races. Not every female dog can say that she was in men's ski races.
Kildow: That sounds very unfair that Whitey got to race against men when Lindsey isn't allowed to.
BB: Whitey didn't really race, she was Marcel's guide dog. There is a difference.
Kildow: If Whitey got to be in men's races, maybe Leo can be in women's races.
BB: Is Leo Swiss?
Kildow: I don't think so.
BB: Then I don't think that the International Ski Federation will allow Leo to participate in women's races.
Kildow: The FIS is so unfair!
BB: Life can be cruel and unfair. Onto another subject. Bode Miller's wife gets on camera at races holding up a baby. Sometimes it's Bode's baby and other times it's an Austrian or Swiss Rent-a-Baby. Will someone hold Leo up for the TV cameras at races after Lindsey finishes her run?
Kildow: Of course! It will either be me or a lucky person from Lindsey's fan club. Leo is much cuter than a baby. Maybe we can even have a contest and the winner will get to be the person who holds Leo up for the camera. He will be a bigger star than Bode Miller's baby.
BB: Interesting idea. You can write about your experiences traveling with Lindsey and Leo. I'm sure ski racing fans would line up to read what you have to say. Well, it looks like we are out of time. I want to thank you for this interview. It was interesting, as usual, talking to you. And that concludes another Boston Blickbild exclusive interview.
The Boston Blickbild. Our motto is: If you want a pet, please adopt one from an animal shelter.
BB: Laura, how is your blog coming along? Are you planning to have your adventures traveling with Lindsey made into a book?
Kildow: I stopped blogging after Lindsey was injured in Schladming. But I am hoping to resume once she has fully recovered and is ready to break the record for World Cup victories.
BB: Would that be Annemarie Moser-Proell's record of 62 or Ingemar Stenmark's 86 wins?
Kildow: Stenmark's of course. Sixty-two wins would be nothing for Lindsey. But no other woman would be able to get 86. She wants to set the bar so high that nobody else, man or woman, will ever catch her and her record will never be broken. But I hope that my adventures with the greatest ski racer of all time could be turned into a book or even a movie.
BB: Anything is possible with a good editor. (short pause) Let's talk about the dog that your sister recently adopted.
Kildow: He is named Leo and he's 9 months old.
BB: He also has a bad knee from an accident when he was a puppy.
Kildow: Who needs four legs anyway? We people only have two and we function fine.
BB: That is true. But while most dogs have four legs, Leo only has three good ones.
Kildow: Right. Lindsey picked him out especially because he has a bad knee. They are made for each other.
BB: Lindsey plans on having surgery soon to repair the ACL that she re-tore last November. What will Leo do during that time?
Kildow: Tiger or I would take care of him. Anyway, after Lindsey recovers from her surgery, Leo will have his leg operated on.
BB: Will Dr. Sterrett operate on Leo after he does Lindsey's surgery?
Kildow: I don't think so. I'm pretty sure that a veterinarian will operate on him.
BB: When Leo recovers from his operation, will he be going to the gym with Lindsey?
Kildow: Of course! They will do their rehab exercises together and will be able to run a marathon together in no time at all.
BB: Will they go together to the special Red Bull training center near Salzburg?
Kildow: Probably. Lindsey is already training Leo to drink lots of Red Bull. I don't think that he will ever drink as much as she does though.
BB: Let's imagine for a moment that Leo is not a superhuman rehabber like Lindsey and his leg stays bad. Will he compete in the upcoming Canine Paralympics?
Kildow: I think that Lindsey will enter Leo in the Canine Paralympics only if he can get a gold medal. A silver or bronze medal isn't good enough for such an extraordinary dog. If it looks like he won't be able to win a gold medal, he can watch the Canine Paralympics at home with Lindsey.
BB: Lindsey is planning on making the comeback of the century next season and will be traveling all over Europe. What will she do with Leo?
Kildow: He will come with us in our special camper.
BB: Who will walk Leo and pick up his droppings when you're traveling all over Europe?
Kildow: Oh I don't believe that anyone thought about that. I will probably be the one to do it since Lindsey will be racing and training.
BB: Marcel Hirscher's former seeing eye dog Whitey is now the official Austrian team mascot. Will Leo become the US Ski Team's new mascot?
Kildow: Does that mean that the other members of the ski team will pick up his droppings?
BB: I don't know about that. You will have to talk to the others and ask them. Do you think that Leo and Whitey will play together at races?
Kildow: I don't think so. Leo is very special. Lindsey doesn't want him mixing with ordinary dogs.
BB: Whitey is rather special because she got to participate in men's ski races. Not every female dog can say that she was in men's ski races.
Kildow: That sounds very unfair that Whitey got to race against men when Lindsey isn't allowed to.
BB: Whitey didn't really race, she was Marcel's guide dog. There is a difference.
Kildow: If Whitey got to be in men's races, maybe Leo can be in women's races.
BB: Is Leo Swiss?
Kildow: I don't think so.
BB: Then I don't think that the International Ski Federation will allow Leo to participate in women's races.
Kildow: The FIS is so unfair!
BB: Life can be cruel and unfair. Onto another subject. Bode Miller's wife gets on camera at races holding up a baby. Sometimes it's Bode's baby and other times it's an Austrian or Swiss Rent-a-Baby. Will someone hold Leo up for the TV cameras at races after Lindsey finishes her run?
Kildow: Of course! It will either be me or a lucky person from Lindsey's fan club. Leo is much cuter than a baby. Maybe we can even have a contest and the winner will get to be the person who holds Leo up for the camera. He will be a bigger star than Bode Miller's baby.
BB: Interesting idea. You can write about your experiences traveling with Lindsey and Leo. I'm sure ski racing fans would line up to read what you have to say. Well, it looks like we are out of time. I want to thank you for this interview. It was interesting, as usual, talking to you. And that concludes another Boston Blickbild exclusive interview.
The Boston Blickbild. Our motto is: If you want a pet, please adopt one from an animal shelter.
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