Winter Olympian and mother Lydia Lassila aiming for new heights

She’s the high-flying mother of two and gold medallist aiming to reach new heights at the Winter Olympics. All the mail on LYDIA LASSILA.

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SHE’S the high-flying mother-of-two and gold medallist aiming to reach new heights at the Winter Olympics.

Today we turn the spotlight on Lydia Lassila, the most senior member of the Australian team competing in PyeongChang.

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Xu Mengtao, center, of China, celebrates her win with Lydia Lassila, left, who places second, and Laura Peel, who was third, in the women's World Cup freestyle skiing aerials in Lake Placid.

EVENT

Lassila is an alpine skier.

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OLYMPIC HISTORY

Lassila has been selected for five Winter Olympics - 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, and the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia

Lydia Lassila in the World Cup freestyle skiing aerials final in Lake Placid.

BEST RESULTS

Lassila’s greatest moment came at the Vancouver Games where she won gold.

The Australian also won a bronze medal in Sochi in 2014.

MAKING US GIDDY

First woman to complete the groundbreaking aerial manoeuvre — a quadruple twisting triple somersault.

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Lydia Lassila has overcome a string of injuries to still be skiing.

INJURIES

Lassila underwent radical anterior cruciate ligament surgery in 2006 which saw her return to competition eight months later.

But in a moment few will forget, she tore her knee apart after landed awkwardly and in agony at the Torino Olympics.

Lassila then underwent a knee reconstruction in 2007.

FAMILY LIFE

Lassila’s husband is former Finnish skier, Lauro Lassila. She has two sons, Kai, six, and Alek, two.

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A PIECE OF HISTORY

Lassila will be the first woman to compete at five Winter Olympics. Fellow aerial skier Jacqui Cooper qualified to do this also but missed out due to injury.

In the Summer Olympic arena Natalie Cook, Mary Hanna and Jian Fang Lay have achieved the feat.

Lydia Lassila with her husband and son.

TOP AWARDS

Almost too many to count for this Australian but include Australian Institute of Sport ‘Athlete of the Year’ and Sport Australia Hall of Fame, The Don’ Award.

FAST FACTS:

BORN: Melbourne on January 7, 1982

AUTHOR: Wrote a book called The Will to Fly.

OTHER SPORT: Lassila. Was a gymnast before taking up skiing.

HONOUR: Australian Flagbearer at the 2010 Closing Ceremony.