Lindsey Vonn Was #1 in the World When She Crashed. Will She Ever Race Again?

Maria Sharapova sits down with Olympic skiing legend Lindsey Vonn for a raw, deeply honest conversation about ambition, aging, pain, and the relentless drive to push boundaries.

At 41, after years of injuries and a major knee replacement, Lindsey returned to competitive racing with one goal: another shot at Olympic gold. But just days before the Olympic Games began, a devastating crash and a ruptured ACL changed everything—forcing her to make the hard choice to race anyway, only to crash again on the Olympic downhill.

Maria and Lindsey dive deep into the harrowing physical and mental aftermath of that crash, how she is navigating grueling surgeries and recovery, and how she’s weighing whether or not she will ever race again.


CHAPTERS
00:00 | Introduction: The Comeback, the Crash, and What Comes Next
02:13 | "Too Old to Do Anything, Expected to Do Everything"
04:00 | Training in Your 40s: Physical Evolution and Body Changes
06:10 | A Glutton for Pain: Why Hard Work Is Therapeutic
07:05 | Put Your Phone Away: Avoiding Social Media Scrutiny
09:55 | The Fantasy of a Perfect Ending vs. Reality
12:20 | Letting Go of Control: Navigating Delays and Uncertainty
15:10 | Why Are People Threatened by Ambitious Women?
18:50 | The Hospital Recovery, Vulnerability, and Journaling Publicly
26:45 | Fear, Severe Injury, and the Reality of Near-Tragedy
31:10 | Redefining Pain: Why Ligaments Have Nothing on Broken Bones
32:20 | Trading Adrenaline: From 100 MPH Downhill to Tennis
35:45 | Processing the Online Negativity and Finding Perspective
38:50 | The Science of Peak Fitness: Diet, Recovery, and the Glucose Goddess
42:30 | Using Doubt as Fuel: Why Haters Make the Best Motivation
46:30 | The Power of Self-Belief: Lessons From Coach Eric
50:00 | The Next Generation: Why Kids Need to Experience Adversity
52:45 | Looking Forward: The Path to Next Spring and Potential Closure
56:15 | Pretty Tough Rapid Fire: Unlearning Control, Misconceptions, and Feeling Pretty


About Pretty Tough
Pretty Tough is the weekly interview podcast hosted by five-time Grand Slam champion, entrepreneur, and bestselling author Maria Sharapova. Each week, Maria sits down with founders, CEOs, athletes, creatives, investors, and other high achievers for candid conversations about leadership, ambition, decision-making, performance, entrepreneurship, wellness, and building exceptional careers.

Drawing from her own experience at the highest levels of sport and business, Maria explores what it really takes to succeed—from navigating failure and reinvention to scaling companies, leading teams, and pursuing excellence over the long term.

About Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova is a five-time Grand Slam champion, former World No. 1 tennis player, entrepreneur, investor, bestselling author, and one of the most recognizable athletes of her generation. Since retiring from professional tennis, she has built businesses, invested in consumer, technology, and lifestyle companies, and become a respected voice on leadership, performance, and entrepreneurship.