Helene THURNER

Leni Thurner won seven Austrian luge championships and was a six-time Tyrolean Champion. In addition to her 1964 Olympic bronze medal, Thurner won three medals in singles at the World Championships, with silver in 1963 and bronze medals in 1961 and 1967. She also added a silver medal at the 1962 European Championships.

Thurner co-founded the sports club in Mils in the Tyrol, where she settled. She was vice-mayor of the village from 1992-2004, and in 2008 was made an honorary citizen. Thurner was given the Gold Medal for Meritorious Service to the Austrian Republic in 1996, and in 2007 received the Order of Merit of the Tyrol.