'Passed away peacefully as I held her hand': Olympian's mum loses battle with ALS one year to the day after her diagnosis

US Olympian Lindsey Vonn is mourning the death of her mother, exactly one year to the day after she was diagnosed with the nervous system disease ALS.

Vonn, a former champion ski racer, shared the news of Lindy Lund's death on Instagram on Saturday, with a gallery of photos.

"My sweet mother Lindy has lost her battle with ALS. She passed away peacefully as I held her hand, exactly one year after her diagnosis," the 37-year-old wrote.

"I am so grateful for every moment I had with her but I am also thankful that she is no longer suffering and in peace. She was a shining light that will never fade and I will forever be inspired by her."

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In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Saturday, a representative for the athlete said Lund died on Thursday night, "exactly one year to the day of her diagnosis".

The statement said Vonn "was incredibly grateful for the time she spent with her since the diagnosis and to be there by her side at her passing".

"In honour of her mother's relentless fighting spirit, Lindsey is dedicated to learning more and helping bring additional awareness to this deadly disease."

In her tribute post on Instagram, the Olympic gold medallist posted an excerpt from her memoir, which she said was "unfortunately fitting."

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"This book is dedicated to my mother," read the excerpt.

"She is my inspiration not because of what she did for my skiing career, but how her perpetual positivity shaped me into the person I am on, and most importantly, off the slopes.

"Every adversity I have faced, I found perspective and inspiration from her. Throughout the many hardships in her life, they only made her stronger, kinder, and more humble. That type of grit is what shaped me since I was a child; whether I knew it then or not, I know it now."

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a central nervous system disease where nerve cells are broken down. Consequently, the brain can no longer execute or control muscle movement. There is currently no known cause or cure.

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In honour of her mother, Vonn has established a GoFundMe to raise funds for the ALS Association.

In the site's description, she says, "The ALS Association is one of the leading organisations fueling research to help find a cure for ALS. We chose to do a Go Fund Me so that Lindy could see how many people are out there to help and share her story so that hopefully one day no one will have to suffer from an ALS diagnosis."