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Lindsey Vonn Opens Up About Her Return to Skiing: ‘I Never Stop Believing in Myself’

The Olympic athlete landed on the cover of ‘Self’ magazine ahead of the Milan Cortina Games next month.

Cara O’Bleness

Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn / Al Bello/Getty Images

Ahead of the Milan Cortina Games next month, Lindsey Vonn is adding yet another accolade to her ever-growing list of accomplishments: Self magazine cover model.

The 41-year-old Alpine ski racer and the publication shared the cover snapshot in a joint Instagram post on Thursday, Jan. 22, featuring Vonn clad in a brown fur jacket and a fuzzy pair of white earmuffs. She grinned while looking off into the distance as photographer Agata Serge snapped her picture.

Tons of Vonn’s fans chimed into the comments section of the post, where they hyped up the Olympic athlete.

“Go girl 💪 you got this 💛💛💛,” one person cheered.

“Please continue competing after the Olympics!! 🙏🙏,” a fan begged.

“🔥Queen⛷️go for gold 🥇,” another user cheered.

“inspiration at its finest,” a follower noted.

In the accompanying feature story, Vonn opened up with Self about her choice to return to skiing following her 2019 retirement. The Minnesota native, who has the second-most World Cup victories by a female Alpine skier of all time with 84 wins to date, stepped away from her sport due to injury several years ago. She announced her plan to return to the slopes in November 2024 with en eye on the Milan Cortina Games. Vonn will represent Team USA in Italy next month.

And despite her continued success in her sport, Vonn is not unfamiliar with people doubting her abilities. During the interview, she noted that being underestimated in her return to the sport serves as the greatest motivation for her success: “It’s been that way my whole life. And off the slopes as well. It’s really never-ending,” she told Self. However, “ ... I never stop believing in myself.”

A four-time Olympian, Vonn has three medals to her name, including one gold (2002 downhill) and two bronze (2010 Super-G and 2018 downhill). The forthcoming Winter Games, she says, will be her last.

“This is 24 years after my first Olympics,” she noted while speaking with the outlet. “I’ve won everything I could have ever won. I’m not doing this to prove anything to anyone. I’m doing this because I think I can do well, it’s a meaningful place for me, and I think I can make a positive impact.”

We can’t wait to watch Vonn compete in the Milan Cortina Games next month. The Opening Ceremony will be held on Friday, Feb. 6, while the women’s downhill event will commence the following day. Find the complete Alpine skiing schedule here.

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Cara O’Bleness
CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.

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