Lindsey Vonn's New Life in Miami: 'I'm Finally Thawing Out' (Exclusive)

The ski champ from Minnesota opens up about her foundation, life after retirement and why she's happier than ever in the sun and sand

For an Olympic Alpine ski racer who was born in Minnesota and raised in Colorado, Lindsey Vonn confesses she actually hates cold weather. Which is why she says she's loving her new life in Miami, where she bought a waterfront home in 2022.

"I'm not a cold weather person," she tells PEOLE. "I'm finally thawing out."

Related: Former Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Admits She Really Hates Cold Weather

Vonn, 39, continues with a laugh, "I have definitely adapted to the temperatures out here. I went outside the other day and it was 75 degrees and I felt cold. I've gone quite the opposite direction very quickly."

Vonn, who retired from professional ski racing in 2019, says the seaside life totally suits her. "We recently bought a boat," she says. "So whenever we can, we just go out on the water."

That's not to say she has a lot of downtime. The entrepreneur and investor sits on the board of several foundations, is on the ownership team for Angel City FC and is an ambassador for brands like Under Armor.

However, the athlete is most proud of running the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, which supports underserved girls between 10-18 through empowerment camps and scholarships.

Vonn says she was inspired by her hero, Picabo Street, to start the foundation after she was injured and couldn't race at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.

Related: Lindsey Vonn Celebrates Her Part in Potentially Securing 2034 Olympics in Utah: 'We Are Almost There Guys!'

"I was trying to think of something positive that I could do with my time instead of just sitting there and being depressed," she says. "So I just kind of thought back on my life and what has been the most impactful to me.

She continued, "And honestly, meeting my idol Picabo Street when I was 9-years-old was the most impactful thing that happened to me. It literally took 90 seconds of her time, and because of her, I wanted to be an Olympian. So I thought, okay, can I replicate this experience and can I inspire and empower more young girls to follow their dreams?"

While not all the camps have to do with sports, Vonn says athletics hold a special place in her heart.

"I think sports have just a really special way of teaching kids a lot about life," she says. "I think specifically about failure. I think that's one of the most important things about sports is learning how to fail, because we all fail in life, but it's about how we pick ourselves back up."

Vonn says while she's happy in retirement — and especially living in a warmer climate — she still loves skiing.

"I miss the competition, obviously, but I feel like with being an entrepreneur and all these businesses that I'm in, I get a good hit of that," she says. "But there's nothing that's ever going to replace going 90 miles an hour down a mountain. I've accepted that."

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