Lindsey Vonn says training gave her something retirement did not: time without distractions
Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn discusses the challenges of transitioning from the intense, distraction-free focus of elite athletics to retirement. She notes that the structured, phone-free environment of training provided a therapeutic sense of presence that she finds difficult to replicate in daily life.
Why it matters
It highlights the psychological adjustments elite athletes face when leaving high-pressure, structured environments.
Lindsey Vonn says retirement made her miss the single-minded focus of training. Variety/Variety via Getty Images Lindsey Vonn said training gave her a sense of focus that she struggled to find in retirement. Being an elite athlete meant there was little room for distractions if she wanted to perform at her best. "You're not on your phone. You're not thinking about emails," she said. Lindsay Vonn , 41, said she missed the phone-free focus of being an athlete after retirement. On Wednesday's episode of the " Pretty Tough" podcast, Vonn told host Maria Sharapova that she was still thinking about being active on her way home after her Olympic injury. "I was coming up the hill to my house, and I thought, 'God, I would love to do a hill sprint right now,'" Vonn said. "Then I thought to myself, 'What is wrong with me?
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