Lindsey Vonn opened up about women putting a stop to their careers at a certain age due to a misconception about embracing other roles, especially at home. Vonn has been showing what’s possible at 41, competing in one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports.
The American never regretted her decision to retire in 2019, citing injuries, and for six years she remained connected to sports and continued her business endeavours. But she returned to slope in action in 2024-25 and is in her second season since her comeback.
Lindsey Vonn Gets Real About Women and Their Careers Amid Winter Olympics
Vonn was the first American woman to win Olympic gold in downhill at the 2010 Games and also the first skier to surpass Ingemar Stenmark’s Crystal Globe record. Having suffered a slew of injuries during her career, Vonn stopped competing at 34, but she felt pain-free enough to resume at 40, thanks to a partial knee replacement.
The Olympian never failed to acknowledge that most women are retired at her age, as they often have to step into other roles at home. However, ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, she noted that women in sports are showing a pathway for those who hold themselves back later in life.
“Many women stop their careers because they want to have a family and there’s also a certain social perception that at a certain age you need to stay at home and play a certain role and I think women overall that role is shifting in society and so I think sports is just a good conduit for us to show what’s possible at an older age and have women continue to believe in themselves,” she said in Unfiltered Waters podcast.
She also shared that many women wish to be entrepreneurs, start social media channels, and have long careers in business, but age becomes a barrier, one that athletes like her are defying today.
Vonn will compete in the downhill event on February 8, 2026.
READ MORE: After a Torn ACL, Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic Comeback Starts With a Smooth Training Run
The 84-time World Cup winner earned an Olympic qualification after a phenomenal 2025-26 season. But on her way to the global event, her fifth trip to the Games, she crashed in a downhill event in Crans Montana and ruptured the ACL in her left knee. She also suffered additional injuries, almost putting her Games participation in jeopardy.
But Vonn refused to let her determination fade. She remained under constant supervision from health professionals and resumed intense gym sessions almost immediately, later confirming that she would be in Milan to compete.
