She has an identical twin
Nordegren has an identical twin sister named Josefin. In a 2010 interview with PEOPLE, she shared that their parents never made them dress alike or treated them as interchangeable. Instead, they encouraged both girls to be independent individuals.
“They rarely dressed us in the same clothes, and if they did, I always wore red while my sister always wore blue, so no one would confuse us,” she explained to PEOPLE. “Everyone knew that red meant Elin and blue meant Josefin. They also styled our hair differently and placed my sister and me in separate classes. Looking back, I appreciate that they did that. My sister has been my best friend since day one, and she means more to me than just a best friend today.”
She is a child of divorce
Nordegren’s parents divorced when she was 7 years old, and she split her time equally between both of them while growing up.
She told PEOPLE that her childhood and her parents’ exemplary co-parenting likely influenced her amicable post-divorce relationship with Woods. “Despite the split, I feel like the foundation was still there,” she said. “My mom showed me that it is possible to be independent, a mother, and still pursue a career. My father moved to Germany in 1997, and my sister and I went with him for a year to study German and English. We attended 11th grade at John F. Kennedy School in Berlin.”
Nordegren continued, reflecting on her parents’ split and its impact on their children. “I truly wanted my children to have a stable family,” she said. “But when there’s no trust between parents, I believe it’s better for the children if they separate. Now, I’m committed to demonstrating to them that being alone and happy is better than being in a relationship without trust. I want to impart to my kids the lessons my parents taught me.”
She loves to travel
Nordegren caught the travel bug as a child and still treasures her memories of European road trips to this day.
“Before my parents split up in 1987, they took my older brother Axel, my sister, and me everywhere,” she told PEOPLE. “My brother is 13 months older than my sister and me, so we were like triplets growing up. We were the kind of family that spent every last penny on travel. They squeezed us into a little Fiat Panda and drove all around Europe as often as possible.”
Nordegren also mentioned that she has visited every country in Europe multiple times and has endeavored to provide her children with similar travel experiences. “Traveling teaches your children a lot about the world,” she emphasized.