The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Vonn still going at top speed in retirement
DENVER >> Lindsey Vonn’s certainly dived right into retirement — off a cliff and splashing into a lake feet first.
That’s one of the many post-racing adventures for the all-time winningest female skier in World Cup history. Never one to sit back, she’s still going at top speed since competing in her final ski race in February.
The bustling life of Vonn includes that recent cliffjumping excursion with boyfriend and NHL defenseman P.K. Subban, wrapping up her memoir in a book set to be published early next year, starting a line of beauty products, walking the red carpet, working with Dwayne Johnson on a sports apparel project and serving as an executive producer of a film with Robert Redford.
That’s right, Robert Redford (she’s not at liberty to discuss the full details just yet).
“I want to take over the world, one business at a time,” the 34-year-old Vonn cracked in a phone interview.
With her schedule so packed, there’s really been no time to miss racing. Maybe once the snow falls.
She still feels the cumulative effects of all the tumbles and wipeouts over a career that included three Olympic medals, including downhill gold, and four overall World Cup titles. Her knees constantly throb and the right arm she broke nearly three years ago in a training crash still causes her trouble.
Four months ago, she had a ligament repaired in her left knee. Her right knee is bone-on-bone.
“You pay a price for throwing yourself down the mountain and I’m going to be paying that price for the rest of my life,” said Vonn , who just announced a partnership with the DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation to award $500,000 in scholarships through her own foundation. “But that’s part of being an athlete — you sacrifice yourself and your body.”
In December, Vonn plans to make the trek to Lake Louise, Alberta, for the World Cup races and visit a course where she won so often it’s now named in her honor. She’s bringing her mom — and not her downhill skis. Her original plan last season was to step away after one final charge down the course in Lake Louise, but pain forced her to move up retirement.
“I’m not going to race. I can’t. I’m too beat up,” Vonn said. “I need the break.”
Any chance of a comeback, say, down the road?
“I don’t think so,” said Vonn, who has no designs on a coaching career. “The biggest problem is my right knee. Maybe something will come up that could help me. But at this point I don’t really foresee anything happening that’s going to dramatically change my living situation, let alone my competition possibilities.”