“Came Home to an Empty Hotel Room”: Lindsey Vonn, Who Recently Lost Her Mother, Says Battling Depression Post-retirement Is “Much Worse”

Lindsey Vonn, the two-time World Championship and three times Olympic winner, is one of the most decorated Alpine skiers of all time. With time, she has successfully cemented her name as one of the most-decorated athletes. But Vonn’s journey has never been easy. Even though she reached the highest of the high pedestal during her professional career, her battle with mental health was unending.

Grieving from her mother’s sad demise and reflecting on her struggle with mental health, the 38-year-old poured her heart out in a recent interview. Sitting for a chat with ELLE, the former American Alpine skier opened up about how it feels to “came home to an empty hotel room.”

Lindsey Vonn talks about her journey with mental health 

Vonn completed her final downhill event on February 10th, 2019, and subsequently announced her retirement. Vonn drew the curtain to her illustrious skiing career by winning bronze at the event. Thus, when asked if retired athletes have different mental health struggles than athletes who are currently competing, Vonn had an honest answer to share.

Nodding in agreement to the question, the Alpine ski champ revealed that dealing with mental health becomes “much worse” post-retirement. According to her, the competition served as a distraction. It helped her to cope in a “really good way.” Even though she acknowledged the pressure, she revealed during her competition days she never had to deal with “anxiety.”

Read More: Alpine Skiing Legend Lindsey Vonn Reminisces Her 10-Year-Old Memorable Victory With a Visit to Beaver Creek.

Talking about her journey, she revealed how she found it hard to manage her depression when she was “alone, traveling on the road.” While others saw her winning the races and leading a glamorous lifestyle, she knew the reality stood differently. Being away from home for months and returning to empty rooms was never easy for Vonn.

Vonn shared more insights on her mental health 

Talking about her struggles, Vonn reflected on how she left even more isolated when she was around fewer people. Vonn began her battle with depression when she was just 18 years old. Earlier, she discussed her initial reservations while sitting for a special episode of the Gucci Podcast. Talking about how she refrained from acknowledging it, she spoke of her lonely journey.

For years, Vonn fought her battles alone; for her, “mental health wasn’t really a topic of conversation.” With time, she realized she was not alone and eventually started to speak about her struggles. In 2023, Vonn undeniably remains one of the strongest mental health advocates in the sporting community. Having seen the difficult times, she now spends time with family and friends and works hard to raise more awareness of the otherwise hushed topic.

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So, what do you think about Vonn’s journey with mental health? Do you have more insights to share? Please feel free to express yourself in the comment section!