Lindsey Vonn says training gave her something retirement did not: time without distractions

Lindsay Vonn, 41, said she missed the phone-free attraction of being an jock aft retirement.

On Wednesday's section of the "Pretty Tough" podcast, Vonn told big Maria Sharapova that she was still reasoning astir being progressive connected her measurement location aft her Olympic injury.

"I was coming up the elevation to my house, and I thought, 'God, I would emotion to do a elevation sprint correct now,'" Vonn said. "Then I thought to myself, 'What is incorrect pinch me? Why do I want to do that correct now, moreover successful excruciating pain?'"

The alpine skier said sports gave her the chance to beryllium "singularly focused," thing she recovered "really therapeutic."

"The activity ethic, the pain, grinding it retired successful the gym was ever thing that I really enjoyed because I felt for illustration I sewage truthful overmuch retired of it," Vonn said.

"I was truthful coming and focused. You're not connected your phone. You're not reasoning astir emails," she continued.

In retirement, she recovered it harder to consciousness afloat coming and missed the distraction-free attraction that came pinch a system training routine.

"There's nary clip really, unless you carve retired clip successful the gym aliases for illustration you person a circumstantial magnitude of clip wherever you're meditating, wherever you really are present," Vonn said. "We're being pulled successful truthful galore different directions."

But for her and different elite athletes, sports tin create a uncommon "bubble" wherever they tin unopen retired the remainder of the world, Vonn said.

Vonn, a three-time Olympic medalist, initially announced her status from the athletics successful 2019. Five years later, months aft undergoing a knee replacement surgery, Vonn told The New York Times she was rejoining the US skis team.

In 2026, Vonn competed successful her 5th Olympics astatine the Milan Cortina Games, wherever she collapsed during the women's downhill competition. She was airlifted from the people and later said she had sustained a complex tibia fracture.

During the podcast, Vonn said she was "pretty acold distant from knowing" the early of her competitory skiing career, but hoped to make a determination "next spring" aft further room and a "mental, beingness wellness check."

Other athletes person besides spoken astir uncovering it difficult to switch the strength of title successful retirement.

In 2024, Tom Brady said thing could lucifer the thrill of taking the section pinch his teammates. Former NHL subordinate Brooks Laich likewise told Business Insider successful July that it took him years to find a caller consciousness of intent aft retiring from hockey.