For the first time in an Olympics, Lindsey Vonn got to experience as much as possible. Rather than focusing on sleep and preparing for competition, the gold medalist skier got to take in other sports, walk the red carpet at the opening ceremony, and, critically, help Salt Lake City secure another Games.
A jam-packed trip through the Paris Olympics was the best indicator yet of the pivot Vonn has made in her life. After two decades flying down the mountain as quickly as possible and becoming one of the most accomplished skiers in history, she is now keeping herself more than busy with governance roles in sport.
In addition to serving as chair of athlete experience for the Salt Lake City bid, she is on the board for the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) in Switzerland and the United States SailGP Team.
“It’s really thrilling to be able to work on this side of the fence,” said Vonn. “As an athlete, I’ve always had a certain opinion of what I think could be done better and what I think they already do well. Now that I’m behind the curtain, I think I have a different perspective, but I also bring the athletes’ viewpoint into the conversation as well.”
That became immediately clear to Fraser Bullock, CEO and president of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games. The bid had asked Vonn — whose first Games were in Salt Lake City in 2002 and who has a home in Utah — to join its board.
On a Zoom call, Bullock asked Vonn how the bid could enhance the experience for athletes. Take care of their families, she told him.
That became a key initiative in the bid, with Vonn presenting the athlete family village to the International Olympic Committee during its session in Paris. The initiative aims to alleviate some of the logistical challenges of families supporting their athletes.
“It was just this special moment. It was just completely unexpected and eye opening,” Bullock said. “And I said, ‘This is somebody who has an incredible insight into the athlete experience and the whole Olympic Games. We need to have her play a special role.’ I could immediately see her insight and brilliance, so we invited her to be chief of athlete experience, and out of that was born our athletes’ families initiative.”
The IOC awarded Salt Lake City the Games for 2034 in a vote in Paris. Vonn’s experience as a four-time Olympian informed the idea, but it’s something her mother, Linda Krohn, wanted as well. After her mother’s death from ALS in 2022, Vonn found a letter her mother had composed to IOC President Thomas Bach after the Pyeongchang Games, Vonn’s last in her career.
“There’s a family connection and experiences that I’ve shared that I hope to make better for other families,” said Vonn. “It’s things like that that I feel like having my opinion in there has made a difference, and I’m with a [Salt Lake City] team that wants to make a difference.”
Vonn’s decorated career included three Olympic medals — she won gold in the downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the first American woman to win that event — four overall World Cup championships and 82 World Cup races. She retired in 2019, and now at 39, she is able to offer her perspective in different ways, and to gain new ones through her current roles.
With OBS, she aims to promote sport and the Olympics, seeking to give insights on how to make processes better.
With the SailGP team, she offers her brand building experience to the emerging league. Now in its fourth season, SailGP features foiling catamarans at iconic locations around the world.
“I feel like most of my career has been brand building,” she said. “A lot of the connections and relationships that I’ve built have now become very important in this next chapter of my life, and how I can apply those relationships to help other people.”
Those relationships are helpful with The Lindsey Vonn Foundation, which supports girls from underserved communities by granting scholarships and offering programs and mentorship. It has awarded more than $1.1 million in scholarships in the past six years.
“We were so small to begin with, and now I feel like we have more resources and we’re able to scale in a different way,” she said. “In the beginning, I didn’t know what I was doing. I just wanted to help kids. And now I feel like I’m running it better, and in turn, able to help more kids.”
It’s part of what’s keeping her busy in the next phase of her career. In addition to her governance and charitable work, Vonn also holds minority interests in the Utah Royals of MLS and Angel City FC of NWSL, and is an investor in Beyond Meat, JustEgg and Oura, among others. Vonn has also maintained several sponsors since her retirement, including Under Armour, Red Bull, Land Rover/Jaguar and Rolex.
It all might not be as stressful as speeding down a mountain in the downhill, but it’s provided a different kind of excitement for Vonn.
“For me, I need a challenge. So I have my hand in a lot of pots because I like to challenge myself,” she said. “I’m trying to find that balance. I’m trying to keep myself busy as much as possible.”
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