Lindsey Vonn has made it clear on numerous occasions that she is very happy to be in a relationship with Tiger Woods, but that does not mean she never experiences frustration. In a rather candid interview with Bill Pennington of the New York Times on Friday, Vonn talked about how there have been times when she has felt overshadowed by the world’s No. 1 golfer.
“Some people seem to forget that I’m not just Tiger’s girlfriend,” Vonn said. “I’m actually a successful athlete. I’m Lindsey. I have my own career and my own life.”
Before she started dating Woods, Vonn was typically discussed in the context of being one of the best Olympic skiers in the world and a two-time gold medalist. Now, as she continues to rehab her knee and prepare for the 2014 Olympics in Russia, Vonn has rarely seen her face on the cover of a magazine without the word “Tiger” next to it.
Earlier this month, Vonn said the media coverage of her relationship with Tiger has been intrusive. She reiterated that on Friday, mentioning how she largely goes unnoticed when Woods is not alongside her.
“I can be normal by myself; no one notices me,” she said. “But wherever he’s around, we’re living in a fishbowl. I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into. It’s weird. But it’s just something I have to deal with. He has his job, and I have mine. I just have to get used to it.”
While Vonn is obviously uncomfortable with some of the tabloids following her every move, she seems genuinely satisfied with the way her relationship has gone. In fact, she even used an interesting metaphor when talking about whether or not she and Tiger give each other advice about their respective sports.
“I don’t give him a lot of feedback about his golf game,” Vonn said. “We talk golf after his golf rounds, but mostly I listen. We really are normal in that way. Lots of people go home and talk to their wife or husband about their job. That’s what we do.”
Wife or husband? Why not girlfriend or boyfriend? Run, Tiger! Just kidding. Good for them.
