Ski star celebrates emotional wedding.

The ski star and the wedding that gets under your skin

Weddings are a celebration of emotions. But the ceremony, which now featured a ski star, was particularly emotional—and for a specific reason.

29 April 2025

From: det

Wendy Holdener has been one of the absolute stars of the Ski World Cup for years. She has won multiple medals at the Olympics and World Championships and has achieved no fewer than 54 World Cup podium finishes. But in recent months, it has been her fate that has deeply touched the skiing world.

A year ago, in February 2024, her brother Kevin died of cancer at the age of 34. "Living without you breaks my heart," Wendy Holdener wrote in an emotional post at the time. Following this tragic news, the slalom skier cut short her season and didn't return to the ski circuit until the fall.

Wendy with her brother Kevin.

"It was important to Kevin that I continue," she said in an interview. And with three podium finishes, Holdener once again demonstrated her class last winter. Now, after the end of a grueling and intense season, 31-year-old Wendy had a personal highlight. Her other brother, Steve, married his girlfriend, Polly.

An emotional wedding

The Holdener family celebrated the big day in Vietnam, on the picturesque coast of Da Nang, and Wendy expressed her joy on Instagram. "I am a proud sister," she captioned photos with the dream couple. "Celebrating your love is something we will never forget."

Wendy Holdener (second from right) in the group photo – with the picture of Kevin.

The moment when the large family photo was taken was particularly emotional: Although Kevin, the deceased brother, is no longer with them, he was still present in the hearts of everyone present. So the relatives decided to include a picture of him in the group photo. This way, Kevin was part of the moving moment that gave everyone goosebumps.