Lindsey Vonn is rewriting the conversation around women's bodies and aging. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the 41-year-old Olympic ski champion opened up about her refreshing take on body image as she prepares for her historic return to the slopes at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February.
Vonn says "I don't need to be skinny" and emphasizes "you should just be proud of your body and what it can do for you. Like, I just need to be strong." Rather than obsessing over weight numbers, she's focused on what her body can achieve on the mountain. She gained 12 lbs of muscle because "ski racing is a gravity sport, so I need the mass" and "The more I weigh, the faster I go." That shift in perspective—from appearance to performance—is at the heart of her comeback story and sends a powerful message to women everywhere about rejecting outdated beauty standards.
Vonn came out of retirement after a knee replacement surgery in 2024 that left her free of pain for the first time in years. She didn't love the way she was forced to call it quits from her beloved sport in 2019, saying "I built an amazing life and was really happy in retirement" but "I didn't finish my career the way I wanted to. I was limping away when I wanted to finish strong." The new knee gave her a second chance to end her career on her own terms.
When Vonn hits the slopes at the 2026 Winter Olympics, she'll break records for being the oldest female Alpine ski race competitor in The Games' history. She has seven recent World Cup podium finishes just two weeks ahead of the Olympics. Vonn wants to show people "it's not a disadvantage to be old" and says "I love challenging people's perspectives, and this is an amazing opportunity to do that." The Milan-Cortina Olympics begin February 6th, and all eyes will be on this remarkable athlete.