Back in May, Lexi Thompson announced she’d be stepping away from professional golf at the end of the season. By the time the CME Group Championship rolled around, she officially said her goodbyes. Sure, she hinted she wouldn’t disappear entirely—maybe a few appearances here and there—but for now, we’re talking about Lexi Thompson, former LPGA star, who left the Tour with a message for everyone.

“Go out there and follow your dreams,” she said. “Whether it’s golf or anything in your life, don’t let anybody or anything get in the way of you accomplishing what you want and going for it. Golf is just a game. As frustrating as it can be, there is more to life.” Well, it’s now been almost 15 days since Thompson’s final tournament, and she seems to have found a pretty solid way to enjoy this new chapter: diving into another passion of hers—fitness.

If you’ve followed her career, you’ll know she’s no stranger to the gym. She has often shared her workout clips with her fans and has always been a fitness enthusiast. This has only increased in the last 15 days; case in point: her Instagram story from Friday – a picture of herself flexing her impressive biceps, captioned with a simple but motivating “Get after the day.” And honestly, it did look cool. But that wasn’t all.

The picture also had a framed version of Golf Digest‘s May 2015 Fitness Issue, the cover of which featured the now-former golfer. Fitness has always been her passion, and it was evident when Golf Digest spent a day with Thompson and her trainer, Kolby Wayne. Wayne is no ordinary figure in the professional sports circle. He’s trained the likes of Justin Thomas, former NFL player Cody Parkey, and former MLB pitcher Will Harris. But, for him, “[Lexi Thompson] is probably one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever worked with.” However, did you know there was a time when Lexi struggled with her body image?

Yes, it might sound crazy for someone who’s been noted for her athletic physique to struggle with their body image. Lexi Thompson acknowledged so herself when she opened up about this in 2018. In an Instagram post, she wrote, “So this is a pretty personal post, and some people might think it’s stupid or that I’m crazy, but I’m going to share it anyway…. one of the biggest issues I’ve gone through is my self-image/ body confidence. When I was really young, I just ate what I wanted to; didn’t care about fitness… Then, as I slowly got into fitness, I started getting crazy about it, seeing the attention I was getting and doing certain photo shoots I never thought I would.

“I was putting my body through brutal workouts twice a day, not really eating because I thought that’s the way I would lose weight, and weighing myself constantly… As a girl, I know body confidence is a huge part of life and what we all go through. You think you’ll be happy once you get this certain body? But will you really be? The only way you’ll ever be truly happy, though, is if you love yourself first… Your body is your body; it is beautiful, so embrace it.” Since then, that’s precisely what Lexi Thompson has done.

And whenever she gets the opportunity, she never fails to show the world her progress, inspiring others to be comfortable in their own skin. In fact, she even started her journey into lifting back in 2016. Sharing a picture of her flexed biceps (also featuring, presumably, her trainer), she wrote, “He might have big arms, but he couldn’t stop my fist 😜 guess u can say we lift 😏💪🏼 #gymflexselfie.” Even her wrist injuries have not been able to stop her from passionately working out. Yes, she must take a break when it flares up, but she makes sure to bounce back stronger.

“I will always look for ways to contribute to the sport and inspire the next generation of golfers. And of course, I look forward to a little time for myself,” said Thompson, and by her impressive biceps, she is taking out a little time for herself. The decision to retire wasn’t an easy one, but as Thompson explained, it was time to focus on her mental health—something that took a backseat during her years in professional golf.

With that chapter behind her, she’s finally giving herself the break she deserves. “There are more things to life than going to a tournament every week and doing the same training every day,” Thompson said in a press conference announcing her full-time retirement. “There’s just more to it, and I’m looking forward to experiencing that. I feel like I’m very content with where my life is and where this decision will lead me. I’m just looking forward to what life has in store other than golf.”

Her life sure has fitness in it, and she is using it to fuel her new passion project.

Lexi Thompson has reinvented her old passion into a new one

While she’s pressed pause on her golfing career, Thompson isn’t slowing down. Back in December 2023, she shared on Instagram, “As most of you know, fitness is a huge part of my life/routine and definitely a passion of mine. It’s helped me tremendously mentally and physically. I’m actually thinking of starting my own fitness app including my workouts that I do on a daily, maybe some golf drills and practice sessions as well. What do you guys think??” Unsurprisingly, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. 

Fast forward to this October, she gave her fans a sneak peek of this next big move. Thompson shared a gym photo on Instagram, captioned, “Content shooting for Lexi Fitness! Click the link in my bio to get started on your fitness journey with me 👊🏼👏🏼.” Her program, Lexi Fitness, starts at $29.99/month—a steal considering her dedication to staying in top form over the years. She’s staying connected with her fans while building something she’s passionate about. 

A few days ago, she also posted a few more glimpses of her workout on Instagram. She wrote, “Monday motivation! So excited about the people who have already joined, looking forward to keeping in touch and pushing through this fitness journey together! Click the link in my bio to join me and the rest of the Lexi Fitness team.” This impressed the fans, as it always does. And in case you want a more personal touch, she’s also active on Cameo, offering custom videos for her loving fans for $100.92.

It’s clear Thompson isn’t just retiring—she’s reinventing. Swapping fairways for fitness, she’s embracing what’s next and moving forward in her way. And all we can say is, “All the best.”