“Forced out” of retirement?

When I heard that Lindsey Vonn was returning to ski racing at the age of 40, I thought to myself, “Her post-career plans didn’t pan out and she is now forced to come back to racing in order to maintain her lifestyle and celebrity status!” 

I might not be far from the truth, as Vonn was clearly eyeing a Hollywood career upon her stopping ski racing, but this didn’t pan out. Same thing for Hischer who thought he could prolong his lifestyle by entering the ski equipment activity with a splash, but soon found out that he needed Red Bull’s deep pockets to make it, and realized that manufacturing and selling skis isn’t a path immediately paved with gold.

These recent developments show that one can be a top ski athlete and enjoy some good earning for a while, but the post-career options aren’t that great or diverse, unlike they often are for widely accepted and followed sports like gymnastics or swimming. 

Worldwide, alpine skiing remains a micro-business with seemingly global dimensions, yet not enough appeal and horsepower to reach an equivalent celebrity status. I still wish Lindsey the very best!