Vreni Schneider celebrates her 60th birthday today. A sporting icon of the 80s and 90s, she left her mark on generations thanks to her exceptional performances. Photographer Eddy Risch, who closely followed her career, shares some anecdotes and announces a more than deserved gift for this great champion.
Photo & Copyright: Eddy Risch.
On December 19, 1984, she made the front pages of the national press: “Vreni d’Elm beats all the stars”. At just 20 years old, Schneider won his first World Cup victory. It was just the beginning of a legendary career.
Nicknamed “Gold Vreni”, she has accumulated three Olympic titles, three world championships and three World Cup crystal globes. With 55 victories in total, she remains an essential figure in Swiss skiing.
Yet, despite these successes, she always remained “Vreni of Elm”, the modest daughter of a shoemaker. “The word ‘star’ doesn’t suit him at all,” Eddy Risch tells blueNews. “She was too down to earth, too honest and modest. She remained true to her origins.”
KEYSTONE
Exemplary simplicity
Eddy Risch, emblematic photographer for BLICK and Schweizer Illustrierte, knows this endearing personality well. “Vreni was a ski superstar, but always approachable. Whether after a victory or a defeat, she made sure that I lacked nothing,” he remembers.
Risch followed the skier in various contexts, from training camps in Türkiye and Spain to humanitarian actions in Senegal with “World Vision”. “She had this habit of always coming up to me and asking: Eddy, are you okay or do you still need something? She was exceptional.”
“It’s not me, I don’t feel comfortable”
However, even the kindly Vreni sometimes said “no”. In 1994, she refused to pose for a sports calendar deemed provocative. “She just said to me, ‘That’s not me, I don’t feel comfortable. She was intelligent and knew how to stay true to her values,” says Risch. An anecdote which perfectly illustrates its authenticity.
A museum in preparation for its 60th anniversary
The village of Elm, proud of its champion, plans to pay tribute to her by opening a museum dedicated to her exploits. Eddy Risch, who will contribute his photographs, enthuses: “It will be magnificent. Vreni kept many memories from his career.”
As she continues to enjoy the slopes of Elm, Vreni Schneider celebrates her 60th birthday with the same enthusiasm and simplicity that has marked her life. “Happy birthday, dear Vreni,” concludes Eddy Risch. “It was a dream time with you.”
And for all Swiss ski fans, “Gold Vreni” will forever remain a source of inspiration. A museum in his honor seems more than deserved.
