The world’s top female skier is back in FIS World Cup action in Finland this weekend, but if she wins, someone else will be opening the victory champagne…
All in the mind
When you race as much as I do, the strength of will comes by itself. Or that’s what’s happened in my case, at least. I don’t have someone specific to help me with the mental side of things. My ‘mental coach’ is called Thomas: I’m married to him. When I’m disappointed or all out of energy, he cheers me up and helps me to think in a positive way.
Ski meets soccer
Over the summer, I trained in Austria with specialists from the Red Bull Athletes Special Projects in Taxham. The Red Bull Salzburg guys work out there, too, and one sportsman can always learn from another. Footballers really do a lot to be agile, to improve small movements and to be quick on the ball. I’ve spent a lot of time in the weights room with the team. The footballers were pretty surprised when they saw what I could do on the machines.
'My right hand still looks quite a mess. But what can you do?'
A straight face
As a top sports star, you’ve got to be in complete control of your body. But you don’t always manage it. I was in a shoot for an episode of Law & Order in May and I just couldn’t keep my cool. It’s my favourite TV series, so I was nervous and ecstatic at the same time. The small part that I played was actually meant to be serious, but I couldn’t help grinning throughout.
Beating the pain
I had the worst crash of my career in training for the downhill at the 2006 Turin Olympics. At the time I thought my career was over. I’ve had back trouble ever since, but I’m pretty good at dealing with pain. I never give up. My motto is: hope dies last, and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
Erich Spiess/Red Bull Photofiles
Step to it
My favourite exercise is training my abs, even though it’s pretty tough. You don’t have to go to a gym to stay in shape. When I’m not doing full-on training, I try to do 100 sit-ups and 100 press-ups a day. The easiest workout ever is to ignore the lift and climb the stairs.
Bean there
Every year I have a new nutritional plan made up for me. The magic formula seems to be several small meals spread over the course of the day; sometimes that might just be some fruit. Fatty foods are off the agenda after 6pm. I do sometimes give in to coffee or chocolate. There should be no objections to black coffee, but I like girlie coffee with lots of milk and sugar.
Thumbs down
Well, there was the thing with the champagne at Val d’Isère. [Vonn sliced through a tendon at the 2009 World Championships after cutting her thumb spraying champagne after she won the downhill.] It was incredibly painful when I did the slalom wearing a special splint afterwards; it’s amazing how much pain such a small injury can cause. My husband will open any bottles of champagne from now on. You can still see the scar on the right thumb – and then I went and broke my little finger during the giant slalom at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. My right hand still looks quite a mess. But what can you do? I’m not a fingernail model, after all…
Want more?
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.jpg "Lindsey Vonn March 2012")
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