Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Lindsey Vonn and U.S. Toyota Para Snowboard Team athlete Noah Elliott were nominated for an Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) award in the categories of “Best Comeback” and “Best Athlete with a Disability” formally announced on June 26, 2025. The ESPY awards are an annual sports award show that highlights the best athletes, teams and change-makers in sports, ranging from basketball, football, soccer to Olympic sports like gymnastics, track & field and more. This year, athletes nominated include Simone Biles, Caitlin Clark, Josh Allen, A'ja Wilson, among several other notable athletes. 

Vonn Nominated for "Best Comeback"

In the "Best Comeback" category, Vonn was nominated alongside Mallory Swanson of the U.S. Womens National Soccer Team, Gabe Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche, gymnist and Olympian Suni Lee. This 2025-26 season, Vonn came out of retirement after six seasons away from the sport of alpine ski racing. Vonn completed her comeback season on a high when she claimed her 138th World Cup podium on home snow at the Stifel Sun Valley Finals in super-G. Not only did Vonn reclaim her momentum on the course but she marked a new record - oldest female skier to stand on the podium in alpine skiing. Vonn is one of the most decorated alpine skiers of all time, with three Olympic gold medals, including a gold and two bronze medals. She holds the record for the most FIS Crystal Globes won by an alpine athlete and is also a eight-time World Championship medalist. 

Vonn is a past ESPY winner and if she were to be called on stage this July, this would mark her fifth ESPY win. Vonn holds four ESPYs in “Best Female Athlete,” “Best U.S. Female Olympian,” and “Best Moment”. 

Elliott Nominated for "Best Athlete with a Disability"

For Elliott of the Toyota U.S. Para snowboard Team, the ESPY nod shows that many tuned into his historic season. Elliott is nominated for the title of "Best Athlete with a Disability", alongside Paralympic gold medalist Ezra Frech of the Track & Field team, track athlete Tatyana McFadden and Paratriathlete Grace Norman. Elliott, a Paralympic gold medalist and four-time World Championships medalist, is at the top of his game and is going into the Paralympic season ready to defend his title, and is doing this with momentum from the 2024-25 season, where he came out on top, claiming the FIS overall Crystal Globe. 

The ESPY Awards, known as the "Oscars of Sports," celebrate the best of the best in the world of athletics. Each year, athletes from various sports disciplines are recognized for their exceptional performances and contributions to the sporting world. 

Your vote helps decide the winners! Cast it now and tune in July 16, 2025 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. 

Follow THIS LINK to vote. 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team alpine athlete and two-time Olympian Tricia Mangan hosted a “Girls in Sport” day at the USANA Center of Excellence powered by iFIT in June. The fun day brought more than 100 girls between the ages of 6 and 14 for a day of play. It was a completely free event. 

“I wanted to do this to give local girls the opportunity to try new sports, meet role-model athletes and have a fun day playing outside with their friends,” said Mangan. 

The girls were greeted with smiles and music in the morning, ready to run around, make new friends and meet the women they look up to. Mangan was assisted by teammates from various sports including Olympians Olivia Giaccio and Kai Owens from the moguls team, Stacy Gaskill from the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team and Bella Wright, Lauren Macuga, AJ Hurt and a number of other women on the alpine team. 

In total, there were six stations that the girls would float through in 20 minute increments. The stations ranged from a craft station where the girls made tote bags to an obstacle course, mind games and tag. 

By the end of the event, the girls were gifted goodies and a poster that the participating elite athletes signed. Overall, it was a successful day, and the young girls had the opportunity to engage with some of the top skiing and snowboarding athletes and winter Olympic contenders directly. 

See the recap video here. 

Graham Anderson—a visionary leader, advocate and lifelong devotee to the sport of skiing—passed away on June 2, 2025 in Sun Valley, Idaho. He leaves behind a legacy that has shaped the foundation of ski racing in the United States and around the world.

Graham’s skiing journey began in 1947 on the slopes of Sun Valley. As a young athlete, he raced within the Pacific Northwest Ski Association and earned varsity letters in both alpine and nordic at the University of Washington. His love of skiing evolved into a career of purpose—marked by transformative leadership and enduring contributions to U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the global skiing community.

At the national level, he was chairman of U.S. Ski & Snowboard (then USSA) and led key committees including the National Alpine Championships Committee, Olympic Ski Games Committee and Coaches Association. He was also a trustee of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation from 1960-93 and remained an honorary trustee until his passing.

Internationally, Graham was a respected authority within the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), where he served as a delegate for nearly 40 years. His influence helped shape alpine ski racing—most notably, helping codify super-G as a discipline and leading the global movement to adopt breakaway race gates, enhancing safety for generations of athletes. He also held roles on the FIS Alpine Executive Committee and World Cup Committee and was a jury member at multiple World Championships and Olympic Games.

Graham’s service to the sport earned him the Julius Blegen Award—U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s highest honor—in 1979, and he was inducted into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in 1984. He was also inducted into the Sun Valley's Ski Hall of Fame in 2020. He believed deeply in the integrity of sport, always championing athlete safety.

In addition to his national and international roles, Graham helped steer the future of the sport at a grassroots level. From coaching high school athletes in Seattle to presiding over the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation board, Graham invested in the next generation. His impact extended to adaptive skiing through his leadership with SkiForAll, which provided programs for disabled skiers in the Northwest. 

Graham never lost sight of what made skiing magical. He skied Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain until he was 86 and remained a leader in the ski community until his final days.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard celebrates the life of Graham—a devoted steward of skiing. He is survived by his wife, four children and six grandchildren.