As ski fans in Arizona may have recently heard, Lindsey Vonn and husband Thomas Vonn have announced an end to their four-year marriage. Lindsey Vonn rose to fame as one of the United State's top ski racers of all time during her marriage to Thomas, her coach and also a former professional skier.

Lindsey plans to keep her married her name after the divorce, perhaps because of the recognition she received after medaling in two events at the 2010 Olympics and winning multiple World Cup events. She has since been involved in several successful endorsements and has become one the U.S. Ski Team's most notable faces. She repeatedly credited her husband with her success on the slopes, explaining that his coordination skills and skiing knowledge helped her flourish.

Lindsey Vonn issued a statement to the Associated Press in which she asked fans and members of the media to respect the privacy of her and her husband. She called the divorce "an extremely difficult time in [her] personal life."

Following the divorce, Thomas Vonn will cease his role as Lindsey's chief adviser. He has not announced whether he plans to remain a part of the U.S. professional skiing community. Lindsey Vonn stated that she would continue her membership on the national ski team, adding that she looked forward to the rest of the current season. She skipped the World Cup's slalom season opener due to a back injury she sustained while training, but hopes to soon complete a training run at the site of the next scheduled competition.

Divorce for anyone in Arizona and across the United States can be extremely emotionally trying. As in this case, when a divorce is played out in the public eye, there are even more concerns and decisions to consider.

Source: ESPN, "Lindsey Vonn, husband divorcing," Nov. 28, 2011