On the surface, many have always seen Lindsey Vonn as having the perfect life. The 28-year-old has good looks, gold medals, lots of money and is arguably the greatest female alpine skier in US history. However, Vonn recently revealed that she has battled depression for more than 10 years.
In an interview with People Magazine, Vonn opened up about family problems that arose after she made her Olympic debut in 2002.
“Everything about my life seemed so perfect to people,” Vonn said in the article. “But I struggle like everyone else.”
Lindsey’s parents were having marital problems in 2002, when she was only 18 years old. Vonn also had marital problems of her own with Thomas Vonn. She filed for divorce last year, but she said her depression got so bad at one point in 2008 that she could hardly get out of bed in the morning.
“I couldn’t get out of bed anymore,” Vonn explained. “I felt hopeless, empty, like a zombie.
“Everyone knows marriage is tough. But it just wasn’t working, and it was making me miserable. Nothing bad happened, but there was just unhappiness. That’s the only way I can even describe it — unhappy. Divorce doesn’t fit my cookie-cutter image. But I got to the point where I said, ‘I don’t care if I ever win another race; I just can’t live like this.'”
Lindsey’s marriage to Thomas Vonn, her former manager and coach, led to her not speaking to her father for six years. She sought medical treatment for her depression in 2008 and said she now feels like a “different person.” A reconciliation with her father has helped.
“All the parts of my life are finally in sync,” Vonn said. “I accept who I am, and I’m moving forward.”
Unfortunately for those of you who love juicy gossip rumors, her life is not moving forward with this NFL quarterback. However, it would stand to reason that his friendship has helped Lindsey get her life back on track. Her story is yet another example of how celebrity athletes have real-life problems just like the rest of us.
H/T Game On!
