A wonderful article about Lindsey Vonn that describes the physical, psychological, and emotional challenges she faced as one of history’s greatest ski racers and following her retirement. A nice reminder that those whom we revere from afar are as human as we are (to paraphrase a well-known saying, Lindsey “puts her speed suit on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us.”).
A key message from the article is that all of the success in the world has little meaning if someone is struggling in their physical and mental health. As a consequence, the well-being of athletes should take precedence over results.
States Lindsey, “There were more downs than ups, I would say. I dealt with immense pressure to be perfect. A lot of the time, with athletes, we’re expected to be perfect. I even look up to other athletes, and I think, ‘Wow, he has such a perfect life. I can’t imagine it’s not perfect.’ But it’s a total misconception, everyone struggles no matter what job you do, there’s always expectation, and not everyone handles everything the same.”
She adds, “It’s hard to feel 100% confident without skiing,” Vonn said. “A lot of times I feel just incredibly insecure, without that anchor in my life. Some days I wake up and I feel like I’m a complete failure, and other days I wake up and I feel really good.” An important warning against athletes becoming overly invested in their sport and putting all of the self-identity “eggs” in one basket.
Back in 2012, Lindsey was diagnosed with depression; “Therapy and medication drastically improved my life,” Vonn said. “I never told anyone this was something I struggled with, not even my family, until after I was divorced [in 2011 from Thomas Vonn]. It felt like it was a step I needed to take to move forward.”
I have always admired Lindsey’s talent and determination. Now, I admire her even more for her vulnerability, inner strength, and just plain humanity.
Remember that it’s always better to look a human being in the eye than look up to an idol on a pedestal.
Bravo to Lindsey for your decision to leave our sport reasonably healthy and on top and best wishes in this new and exciting chapter in her life.
