Ex-speed queen Lindsey Vonn (38) has suffered for years – now she opens up: ‘I have not gotten rid of my sleeping problems, even after my career’

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She is the only former ski racer who regularly makes the news even after her retirement: Lindsey Vonn (38, USA). The 82-time World Cup winner lives a life on the fast track, even far away from the snow. She had her muscles trimmed by actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, hosted a dog show on Amazon (“The Pack”) and published a biography (“Rise: My Story”).

Last year, Vonn thundered in a large-scale advertising campaign across parts of the Streif in Kitzbühel. Is she toying with a comeback? “I would have the passion for it, but it would no longer be physically possible. “I’m too old,” she says in an interview with Blick. Her knees in particular have been hit hard by her long career.

Blick: Lindsey Vonn, what do you miss about her past life?
Lindsey Vonn: The adrenaline, the speed. The challenge on the mountain and in the Kondi area. My teammates and coaches, all friends from the ski circus. I’ve lived in this bubble for twenty years – there are a lot of connections.

Since your discharge, you have regularly been on the operating table. How are you?
The knees in particular cause problems. I’ve tortured my body for years and now it’s taking revenge. But it was worth the price, I don’t regret anything.

The third knee operation in three years will soon be on your agenda.
I’m getting an artificial knee joint. A few weeks ago I had my knee repaired by Dr. Hackett cleaned up at a clinic in Colorado, removing bone spurs and scar tissue. It was a preparation for the upcoming surgery, which will hopefully relieve my pain.

Will you still be able to ski in the future?
I hope so.

With their children?
I would like to have children. And of course it would be wonderful to experience that with them in the snow.

Her ordeal began ten years ago during the World Championships in Schladming. You fell heavily and tore the cruciate and medial ligaments of your right knee.
I don’t like painkillers and avoid them. It was not an easy decision because my leg hurt a lot. It was also around this time that my sleep problems started.

Because the leg hurt too much?
Also yes.

What else was there?
I was dealing with anxiety.

Fear of what?
As a top athlete, I realized how important sleep is. How was I supposed to do a descent the next day without really being rested? This fear took hold and, together with the pain, led to a negative spiral. The whole thing got worse and worse over the next few years and I never recovered from it. And nothing changes after your career, on the contrary.

Why? The pressure of having to win was gone.
But the pain remained. And because I was less physically active, I was less tired in the evenings than when I was an athlete.

You have been taking medication for sleeping problems for a year and are advertising for them.
I recommend that anyone who cannot solve their sleep problems themselves, has no inhibitions, consult a doctor. Because this is still a taboo subject. What the solution to the problem looks like can be very different.

Wouldn’t it be better to do all this without drugs?
Trust me, I’ve tried everything. Herbal teas, sleep hormones, no TV and sugar in the evening – all these things. I always thought I could do it alone. In a perfect world I would have made it, but my world wasn’t perfect.

You didn’t succeed.
My father always told me when I was young: “Ski legend Jean-Claude Killy used to sleep ten hours. You should do that too.”

You could have gone to a doctor ten years ago, right?
I should have done that too. However, due to the doping lists, it is not possible for an athlete to take every product.

Do you think sleep problems are common in the ski circuit?
I believe this because the lifestyle as a ski racer with all the travel, injuries and pressure to succeed is enormous. Ultimately, no one talks about it because it can be interpreted as a weakness. This is nonsense.

They are only talking about it now, many years later.
I can’t get myself out of it either. In 2012 I opened up about my depression because I thought it was important. And now I realize that I am ready to reveal another problem. I hope this encourages others to seek help too. In general, we need to become more open and empathetic; people are not machines.

Back to her career. How have you managed to keep winning races despite sleep problems?
It sounds crazy, but I did an intense workout early in the morning.

But they were exhausted?
That’s exactly why. I had to wake myself up to win.

How do you feel after this conversation?
Still full of energy. Or do I look tired?

No. But you also have make-up on.
Right (laughs)! But I feel really good, compared to before it’s like night and day. I am extremely relieved and ready for a new phase of life – soon with a new knee.

Source : Blick