Lindsey Vonn’s Got Grit: Lessons From The World’s Most Decorated Female Ski Racer

What's it like to be the very best in the world at something? Today I explore this question and so much more with a woman who truly needs no introduction. Not only is Lindsey Vonn the most decorated female skier in history, she's the most decorated skier period – man or woman – in US history. One of the few world-class, four-event ski racers, Lindsey is a 4-time Olympian, a 3-time Olympic medalist, the only American woman to win downhill gold, and the only American woman with 4 World Cup titles. All told, she has 82 World Cup wins in her career, the most of any female skier in history. Only 4 World Cup wins now separate Lindsey from the record set by Ingemar Stenmark in 1989. Eclipsing this once thought untouchable achievement is the final goal propelling Lindsey into her final professional season. Off the slopes, Lindsey is a media mogul. A regular on “Most Marketable” athlete lists, she has been profiled in every major media outlet across the globe and graced the cover of publications such as Fitness, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, TV Guide and many others. Not enough? Lindsey sank a hole-in-one during one of her very first full 18 holes of golf. So there's that. Lindsey's victories are self-evident. Less appreciated are the countless obstacles she has faced and overcome over the course of her legendary career. From potentially career-ending injuries to debilitating bouts with depression to weathering the haters and naysayers, Lindsey's trajectory skyward has been neither linear nor charmed. In point of fact, she has tenaciously fought for all everything she has achieved – falling and failing often. Her motto? When you fall, get right back up. And never, ever quit. It's Lindsay's fearlessness and relentless persistence that most impresses — qualities I explore as the focus of today's conversation. So what drives this champion? And what can we learn from her mindset, process and experience? Listen, learn and enjoy. Note: the podcast is now available on Spotify and our conversation is viewable in full YouTube at bit.ly/lindseyvonn405 Peace + Plants, Rich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Rich Roll?

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• 0:44Rich Roll?

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• 1:05Speaker 01

  It's hard to beat the person that never gives up. Obviously, you have to be willing to put the work in, but I think the will to be able to push yourself to overcome things is something that you can't teach. You either have it or you don't. And you're either willing to sacrifice things and push yourself, or you're not. I never liked working out, but until I accepted it and enjoyed it, now I feel like I need it. It makes me feel better. I'm happier when I work out, and that's something that I want to share with people and help them find that as well, and find just their own way to be happier.

• 1:43Rich Roll?

  That's Lindsey Vonn, this week, on the Rich Roll Podcast.

• 1:57Rich Roll?

  The Rich Roll Podcast. Hey everybody. What do you know? My name is Rich Roll. I'm your host. Welcome or welcome back to the show where I do my best to have meaningful conversations that matter with the most incredible people I can find, working to make the planet a better place for all of us. And every once in a while, that means that I get the rare opportunity to sit down with somebody who is the very best in the world in what they do. And today is one of those days. It's super exciting. But it's also tricky from an interview perspective, because these people, their talent, their accomplishments, it can all seem very unrelatable

• 2:39Rich Roll?

  or inaccessible to the average person. But if you can somehow get past that veneer, often you can discover the principles, the habits, the mindset, the nuggets of wisdom that contributed to their success, teachable elements we can learn from, accessible tools we can leverage to improve our own lives. And that was my goal with this conversation. I hope I achieved it. It's up to you to decide. And it's with a woman who really needs no introduction, because Lindsey Vonn truly is the world's best at what she does. She is the most decorated female skier in history, and the most decorated skier, period, man or woman, in US history. One of the few world-class four event ski racers, Lindsey is a four-time

• 3:24Rich Roll?

  Olympian. She is a three-time Olympic medalist, the only American woman to win downhill gold, and the only American woman with four World Cup titles. She has 82 World Cup wins total in her career, the most of any female skier in history. And now in her very last season, she's attempting to eclipse Ingemar Stenmark's record of 86 World Cup wins. But here's the thing. There is so much more to Lindsey's story than meets the eye. And I want to address that in a bit before we get into the conversation. But first.

• 4:06Rich Roll?

  All right, Lindsey Vonn. So, look, her victories, her accomplishments, all of that is very self-evident. But, you know, the thing I think a lot of people may not realize about Lindsey, what isn't properly appreciated are the many obstacles that she has faced, the countless injuries she suffered, the depression that she's weathered. Lindsey's trajectory has hardly been linear or charmed. She has fought incredibly hard tooth and nail for every single one of her accomplishments with incredible tenacity, failing and falling often, but always, always picking herself back up. And I derive great inspiration from that. So, this is about where that drive comes from. What is that about? What can

• 4:51Rich Roll?

  we learn from her experience about work ethic, and process, and focus, and determination, and fearlessness? Final note, this episode, as are almost all of my episodes these days, is viewable on YouTube at youtube.com/ritual. And again, the podcast is also now available on Spotify. So, without further ado, please enjoy my conversation with the great Lindsey Vonn.

• 5:24Rich Roll?

  You ready to rock?

• 5:25Speaker 01

  I am ready.

• 5:27Rich Roll?

  Thank you so much for coming out here. I'm delighted to meet you. I'm so excited to talk to you.

• 5:31Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 5:32Rich Roll?

  Welcome to our little slice of heaven out here. This is the, this is the veil of Los Angeles. If that's a thing. Can that be a thing?

• 5:41Speaker 01

  It can be a thing. We'll make it a thing.

• 5:43Rich Roll?

  Cool. And we have a special guest here with Lucy, right?

• 5:45Speaker 01

  This is Lucy. She broke her arm, hit by a car, so.

• 5:50Rich Roll?

  Well, her cast is very cute.

• 5:51Speaker 01

  Thanks.

• 5:52Rich Roll?

  How did she get hit by a car?

• 5:55Speaker 01

  Yeah, she was chasing after an animal and... Chased right after the wheel of the car.

• 6:01Rich Roll?

  Poor girl.

• 6:02Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 6:02Rich Roll?

  Well, as I said, all dogs welcome here.

• 6:05Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 6:06Rich Roll?

  So, um, cool. Well, uh, I think the best way to kind of, um, dig into this is, uh, I'm interested in what you're doing right now. Like you, you have a house in Los Angeles, right? Yeah. So do you, you spend some of your time living out here?

• 6:24Speaker 01

  Yeah, I spend part-time here and part-time in Colorado and really most of my time on the road.

• 6:31Speaker 01

  For racing, but, uh, I love it. You know, it's, it's difficult. I've always been chasing winter, so it's nice to have a place that's warm that I can come back to and my dogs love it here. So.

• 6:43Rich Roll?

  Cool. Yeah. So typically you would be going to South America during the warmer months here, right? So you're just chasing snow year round?

• 6:50Speaker 01

  Yep. So I went to Chile a few weeks ago. Um, and normally we go to New Zealand, but I didn't go this year. Um, and yeah, we're just constantly chasing, chasing the snow and, um, you know, usually October is when we go to Europe and then November we're starting training again in Colorado. So it's kind of non-stop.

• 7:10Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 7:10Speaker 01

  We just have a few months off in the summer where we're working out in the gym.

• 7:14Rich Roll?

  What are you training for right now?

• 7:15Speaker 01

  Um, I mean, this is going to be my last season on the World Cup.

• 7:20Rich Roll?

  Is that official?

• 7:22Speaker 01

  I've kind of said it a couple of times, but no one really seems to believe me. So I'm just going to repeat myself that I'm retiring. Um, and you know, so, so I'm just, I'm really going to look to enjoy this last season and, um, I am hoping to break the World Cup win record, which is 86 and I have 82.

• 7:43Rich Roll?

  You have 82 right now. Right.

• 7:44Speaker 01

  Yeah. So that's my big goal. There's also world championships in Sweden in February. But I really just want to enjoy this last season and, and have fun with it and. You know, if I break it, great. If not, you know, I've had a great career and I'm just ready to do something different.

• 8:01Rich Roll?

  Well, that's a healthy perspective.

• 8:02Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean, it didn't start off that way, but it has now gotten to the healthy part.

• 8:07Rich Roll?

  Well, it's gotta be interesting how it's all evolved for you because as a young person, you can just train and nap and life is very contained and simple. And you live a very large life right now. You've got a ton of competing interests and all different kinds of things that you could be doing. I would imagine you have to say no to a lot of stuff and fun opportunities. But based on like, looking at your Instagram, which is a terrible barometer.

• 8:37Speaker 01

  That's not real life.

• 8:40Rich Roll?

  Oh, training really hard and then like having fun and then like lots of dog stuff.

• 8:45Speaker 01

  Basically, yes. I mean, most of my life right now still revolves around, you know, preparing for the ski season and being in the gym. And I've tried to, you know, have more fun with it and do interesting things, do like contests and a bunch of balance stuff, make it more fun. But yeah, there are definitely a lot of opportunities that are coming my way and it's hard to kind of decide what to do. And, you know, it's definitely a pivot point in my life and transition period. And I can't say that I know exactly, you know, the main focus of what I'll be doing next, but I have a lot of really interesting and

• 9:26Speaker 01

  cool opportunities. So I'm excited about the future. It's really weird to still think about life without ski racing.

• 9:34Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 9:35Speaker 01

  But, you know, I know physically, I just can't do it anymore. And the grind mentally of grinding physically takes its toll.

• 9:45Rich Roll?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, there's that rumor circling around that The Rock is gonna show you around Hollywood.

• 9:52Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 9:53Rich Roll?

  Fellow Under Under Armour athlete teammate.

• 9:56Speaker 01

  Well, he's.

• 9:57Rich Roll?

  Has that happened yet?

• 9:58Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean, I've definitely kind of leaned on him as a kind of a mentor and his road to success is pretty incredible.

• 10:08Rich Roll?

  I mean, he's the world's greatest mentor.

• 10:10Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 10:10Rich Roll?

  If you could have him as a mentor.

• 10:11Speaker 01

  I mean, we would all be so lucky.

• 10:13Rich Roll?

  Yeah, right?

• 10:14Speaker 01

  So I I'm just like, what, you know, anytime I have a question, I just ask him and and, you know, I I I went on set with him on Ballers and I in between takes, I was just, you know, hammering him with questions and and then he'd go and do his line, you know, super easy, then take a break and I'd, you know, continue hammering him. But I think that, you know, it's definitely something that I would be interested in doing. I'm not sure if I'd be great at it, but he seems to think that I will be. So because, you know, I we have the same mentality of just hard work and I think that, you know, if I have that opportunity, I'd work really hard to be good at it. So.

• 10:56Rich Roll?

  Well, you're both grinders.

• 10:57Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 10:57Rich Roll?

  That's for sure.

• 10:58Speaker 01

  Definitely.

• 10:58Rich Roll?

  You know?

• 10:59Speaker 01

  Definitely grinders.

• 11:00Rich Roll?

  And I don't know where that guy's source of energy comes from.

• 11:03Speaker 01

  I don't know either.

• 11:04Rich Roll?

  But it seems to be limitless.

• 11:04Speaker 01

  That's what I said. I'm like, I need at least like eight or nine hours of sleep. You know, I don't know how you survive on this grind that you have going. And he's like, no, I get, you know, six or seven hours. I'm like, you wake up at 3am.

• 11:19Rich Roll?

  Right.

• 11:19Speaker 01

  Every day. I don't know what math you're doing, but.

• 11:22Rich Roll?

  Crazy inspirational that he'll like fly all the way to Europe from LA and then arrive at like 3:00 in the morning and immediately go work out and, you know, it's.

• 11:31Speaker 01

  Crazy.

• 11:31Rich Roll?

  It's cool.

• 11:31Speaker 01

  Yeah, I love it.

• 11:33Rich Roll?

  But before that, you're still training right now.

• 11:36Speaker 01

  Yep.

• 11:36Rich Roll?

  And you're trying to balance all of that with all the fancy stuff that you get to do. What does that training look like? And how do you, you know, maintain that level of intensity and focus? Like, I know you're a grinder. It's like your disposition. It's probably not hard for you, but at the same time, it is different than when you were 18, 19 years old.

• 11:56Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's a lot different. I mean, just based on my injuries, it makes things so much harder. You know, my my workouts are all kind of modified to just do what I can do, basically. You know, I I can't jump. I can't run. You know, I.

• 12:12Rich Roll?

  You can't jump?

• 12:14Speaker 01

  No.

• 12:14Rich Roll?

  You can't run? Come on.

• 12:17Speaker 01

  I was, I was able to jump until recently and now it's just, I'm bone on bone.

• 12:23Rich Roll?

  Wow.

• 12:24Speaker 01

  So I just, it's, it's, it's had enough. I need to stop doing that.

• 12:29Rich Roll?

  Well, your injuries-

• 12:29Speaker 01

  Running, I've never been good at running. So like, let's, let's be honest.

• 12:31Rich Roll?

  But you're on the bike a lot, right? You're on the bike all the time.

• 12:34Speaker 01

  Yeah, every day. Yeah. Well, I mean-

• 12:36Rich Roll?

  Do you ride outdoors too, or just all in your own special-

• 12:38Speaker 01

  I do when I'm home in Colorado. I can't say that Los Angeles is the best place for road biking.

• 12:43Rich Roll?

  If you come up here, it's pretty good.

• 12:45Speaker 01

  But it's hot.

• 12:46Rich Roll?

  It's not that hot.

• 12:47Speaker 01

  It's like 125 degrees.

• 12:48Rich Roll?

  No, not right now.

• 12:50Speaker 01

  Well, it's October and it's, it's almost ski season, so.

• 12:54Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 12:55Speaker 01

  But yeah, it's, I, I love, I love biking outside, you know, in the mountains. It's, it's pretty incredible in Colorado. But it can get really monotonous, you know?

• 13:07Speaker 01

  And then, you know, before I ski, I have to warm up my knee and work out for like 45 minutes, you know? It's a, it's just a process. It's not even remotely close to what I did when I was, you know, 18, 19 years old. I used to just get up and go and you get on the hill and you just bomb down the mountain and, you know, that's it. And now it's like this whole long process because I'm old and worn down.

• 13:31Rich Roll?

  You're talking to somebody who's 52. Like, I get it.

• 13:33Speaker 01

  I know, but you're like, you love pain. You do like tria-, you used to do triathlons and stuff. You're crazy.

• 13:38Rich Roll?

  I'm a grinder, but I'm like, you know, my level of grind isn't anything like yours, you know? And, and I think, and, and certainly, you know, I haven't had, I haven't sustained the kind of injuries that you've had. I mean, it's, it's impossible to even keep track of all the things that you've had to weather through. Like, I mean, how many pins and screws do you have in your body? I mean, you got scars all over you. I mean, this is like, you know, the, the laundry list of injuries that you've had would have just ended the career of most people, or at least sidelined them for much longer than you. But you've, you've had this ability to always come back, always come back, always come back, like always overcome the obstacle and like continue to show up, show up, show up.

• 14:22Speaker 01

  Well, I mean, I think, you know, it's hard to beat the person that never gives up. You know, it's just, I have a passion for what I do and, you know, everyone has their ups and downs, everyone has their obstacles they have to face. Maybe mine are worse than most, but not the worst that others have had. So, you know, I always try to keep things in perspective and understand that I am still really lucky to be able to do what I do. And I just work as hard as I can. And if I'm successful after injury, then great. If not, I'm still doing what I love. So, you know, to me, there is no downside in trying your best.

• 15:00Rich Roll?

  Was there ever a moment after sustaining one of these injuries where you just thought, like, that's it, I'm done?

• 15:07Speaker 01

  Um, my arm injury was pretty bad because I couldn't use my hand.

• 15:11Rich Roll?

  That was in 16, right?

• 15:13Speaker 01

  Uh, yeah.

• 15:14Rich Roll?

  Yeah. So you lost the feeling in your hand for quite a while?

• 15:18Speaker 01

  Yeah, for about two months, I couldn't move my hand. And I thought, you know, not only am I not skiing again, but I'm not going to be able to eat food or sign my, I couldn't sign my name, I couldn't write the alphabet. I could barely hold a pencil.

• 15:33Rich Roll?

  Uh huh, so how long did it take before the feeling came back?

• 15:36Speaker 01

  Um, I started to be able to move my hand, like move the fingers after about a month. And then I gained like full strength, it probably took like four or five months. But it was really scary because your knee, it's, you know, it's your knee. You're going to get better, you just have to be patient, do the work and it'll turn around. But with my hand, you know, they didn't, they couldn't really give me a, an estimate. They're like, we don't know, could get better, could not get better. You could have no function in your hand ever again. You know, and that was a pretty scary scenario.

• 16:07Rich Roll?

  Yeah, because those nerves have to regenerate, right? And grow and they grow very, very slowly.

• 16:12Speaker 01

  Very slowly, yeah.

• 16:12Rich Roll?

  So, did you continue to train throughout that?

• 16:15Speaker 01

  Yeah, I had to.

• 16:16Rich Roll?

  You like taped your hand to the ski poles, right?

• 16:19Speaker 01

  Well, I was skiing and that, like, when my hand got cold, I lost a bit of feeling. And I just dropped my pole a couple of times. And so, to me, it's not worth, you know, losing a race because I simply dropped my pole. So I just duct taped it to my hand and moved on.

• 16:39Rich Roll?

  Well, I think that, that, um, You know, what really, I mean, certainly you're unbelievably talented and you've been at the top of your game for so long, but I think people who don't really understand or know that much about you just think, oh, well, she's the greatest skier of all time, like she's out there, she just wins everything constantly. But when you really drill down into your career, it's like, you know, it's like high highs and low lows consistently throughout, right? It's just, it's marked with a million setbacks, way more than, you know, somebody, you know, I followed your career and then I started to like really read more, you know, dive into the details of it. And I was like, oh, my God, like, you've really had to sink, you've sank low and you've constantly come back and come

• 17:24Rich Roll?

  back and come back. So I'm interested in like the mindset required to do something like that. Cause if I had to, you know, if somebody asked me like what distinguishes Lindsey Vonn from everybody else, I think it's what's between your ears as much as anything else.

• 17:41Speaker 01

  Yeah. I mean, obviously you have to be willing to put the work in, but I think the will to be able to push yourself to overcome things is, is something that you can't teach. You know, you either have it or you don't. And you're either willing to sacrifice things and, and push yourself or you're not.

• 17:59Rich Roll?

  And what is it? Like, how do you define that?

• 18:02Speaker 01

  I don't know. I mean, I think there's, it's, you know, it's an element of grit that, you know, and I've talked with several people about this. It's hard to really say, you know, what is grit and, and how do you get it? Is it something that you learn? Can you teach it? I don't think you can. I think, I mean, I think I learned definitely from my grandfather and my father on, you know, what work is and, you know, you just shut up and do the job, you know, there's, there's no complaining, there's, there's no reason to, you know, you could have life a lot worse than what you do. So, um, you know, you're given a task and you just have to accomplish it no matter what. So I think there's an element of that that's ingrained in me from, from those two figures in my life, but.

• 18:47Speaker 01

  I think it's also that I'm just passionate about ski racing. You know, I think if you're passionate about something and you're willing to, you know, push yourself that hard, you're willing to go the extra mile that maybe others wouldn't. Um, it's, and it's not just about skiing, it's really about anything.

• 19:04Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 19:04Speaker 01

  You know, most of the people that are highly successful are not the best at what they do or the most talented at what they do, but they're willing to work harder than everybody else.

• 19:13Rich Roll?

  Yeah. And how do you maintain that level of passion over the years and years and years? It has to like wax and wane, right? There's gotta be moments where you're like, I'm not feeling so passionate right now.

• 19:25Speaker 01

  I mean, there are definitely times when you wake up, you know, at four or five in the morning and it's, you know, it's not fun to do that. But whenever I'm on the mountain, I really enjoy it. And there's, I think it's also at this point, a way of therapy for me, you know, with everything that goes on in my life. I think that ski racing is my outlet. You know, it's the one place where, you know, I can control everything and, and I have the freedom to do what I want. And, um, it's a, it's a weird image to think about life without that therapy. You know, I don't really know. That's a, that's probably not a good thing.

• 20:08Rich Roll?

  But you're, but you're so involved in so many other things already.

• 20:11Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean, I'm not worried about that necessarily. It's just, you know, that's where I think the passion comes from is because it's, that's ski racing is like my place, you know? It's, it's where I'm the happiest. And that's why it's easy for me to keep pushing to get back to it because it just makes me happy.

• 20:36Rich Roll?

  What do you think it is that, that distinguishes a good ski racer from a great ski racer? Like, what is the, what is like the one attribute of that specific discipline that is crucial to reach, you know, the highest level of the sport? That might be different from playing basketball or, you know, any other given discipline?

• 20:57Speaker 01

  Um, I think there's an element of fear that you just can't have if you want to be highly successful at ski racing. Um, you know, you have to be willing to crash and crash hard. And get back up and keep doing it, you know? It's not like basketball where, you know, okay, you're running into some guy, you get an elbow to the face. That's not the same as, you know, crashing at eighty-five miles an hour. Um, and I, I just think that it's, uh, it's again, it's something that you either have or you don't. And I think, um, I've always been the person that's really crazy and I, I've never had that

• 21:41Speaker 01

  fear and, and even since I was, you know, nine years old, I was skiing downhill and everyone thought I was nuts, but

• 21:48Rich Roll?

  Right, you were like, like a kamikaze from like day one.

• 21:51Speaker 01

  Just crazy, yeah.

• 21:52Rich Roll?

  I mean, I think it is true, like you either have that or you don't. But if you have it, you can still lose it. And as somebody who's suffered these crazy injuries and horrible crashes, a normal person would, would, would probably have, even if it's just the slightest bit of hesitation, right? That's the difference between podium and, you know, fiftieth place in a sport where, you know, it's, it's measured in, you know,

• 22:19Speaker 01

  Hundreds of a second.

• 22:20Rich Roll?

  Yeah, hundreds of a second. So even that, that like almost instinctual, impulsive, like, you know, reaction that makes you hold back just a little bit because your, your leg bent the wrong way the last time you made that move, you know? How do you override that and, and still get into that zone where that is not, um, a factor in how you're making those tiny little decisions?

• 22:43Speaker 01

  Hmm, I don't know. I mean, it's, I think most people that have been injured, I'd say they do have that hesitation and it takes a while to get over it. Um, I for some reason don't have that, which is maybe why I crash so often. Um, but I just

• 23:02Rich Roll?

  Right, like she never learns.

• 23:03Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's like, what's wrong with me? Um, I just don't, I don't know, I don't see the point in being afraid because if you're afraid and you have that hesitation, then you're not going to win races anyways. So I try to look at it from like a logical perspective, but

• 23:21Speaker 01

  I mean,

• 23:22Rich Roll?

  It's not logical, though. It's completely a function of your unconscious mind, I think. I think it's weird.

• 23:28Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 23:28Rich Roll?

  It's awkward to even ask these questions because I, I, you're, this is just who you are, right? Like, and you're being asked to explain it. Like, it doesn't,

• 23:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, but it's like, that's actually a question I get asked a lot. And then it's always a difficult one for me to answer because I don't really know why I am the way I am.

• 23:47Rich Roll?

  Right.

• 23:47Speaker 01

  But that is what I am.

• 23:49Rich Roll?

  This is, you've never, you've always been, you don't know what it's like to be,

• 23:52Speaker 01

  I've always had a couple of screws loose, so.

• 23:54Rich Roll?

  Right. Yeah, it's, it's interesting. I mean, because when I think about downhill ski racing, which is a discipline so different than, than anything that, you know, I ski, but that, you know, that I specialize in, it's, you're moving so quickly and you're making these decisions that are so tiny, but you have to be forecasting down the mountain and making decisions that are impacting what you're going to do three seconds later when you get down there. Like, the level of like, it's all happening so quickly and there, and there, and every little thing is so tiny, right?

• 24:30Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean, it's very similar to car racing, but you're not, you don't have the protection of a car.

• 24:35Rich Roll?

  Uh huh.

• 24:35Speaker 01

  You know, I think it's also too, um, once you're adapted to going that fast, things tend to slow down. You know, you're able to see things more clearly because that seems to be a normal speed.

• 24:48Rich Roll?

  Mm hmm.

• 24:50Speaker 01

  You know, it's, and I think there's a lot with me that's very instinctual. You know, my reactions are as planned as possible, but at the same time, when you're going that fast, you are relying on your instincts. And thankfully, I think, for the most part, I have pretty good ones. But, you know, when I'm trying to win, uh, sometimes I make the wrong ones and,

• 25:15Rich Roll?

  Right.

• 25:16Speaker 01

  And then I crash.

• 25:18Rich Roll?

  Well, you know, if you're going for it, you know, it's gonna happen, right?

• 25:22Speaker 01

  That's the thing. I mean, I'd rather, you know, I'd rather go down trying to win than, you know, get safely to the finish line in last place, you know, I just want to push myself and see what I'm capable of.

• 25:36Rich Roll?

  Yeah. So how many races are you doing this season? Like you gotta get, you're at 82, you want to get to 86. That's, you need four more wins. How many chances at that?

• 25:47Speaker 01

  I think I have, it's gotta be 20 something.

• 25:51Rich Roll?

  Oh, wow. Okay.

• 25:52Speaker 01

  Yeah, downhill and super G races, there's maybe 18, something like that. There's like nine or 10 of each discipline. Last year I got five wins, which was not, I mean, it was pretty good, but it wasn't like a crazy good year for me. So, but I think, you know, the more I just focus on enjoying my last season and just kind of going out with a bang and not really focusing on that record, I think the better off I'll be.

• 26:20Rich Roll?

  Yeah. So you're trying not to think too much about that.

• 26:23Speaker 01

  Yeah. Overthinking is a really bad thing.

• 26:25Rich Roll?

  Yeah. Well, speaking of that, I mean, how do you kind of mentally prepare and visualize a race? Like when you're in the gate, like are you at a blank? Do you do formal practices where you visualize every aspect of going down that mountain so that when you show up, it's just you're, you're kind of like just present? Or how does that work for you?

• 26:48Speaker 01

  Yeah. So we have in downhill, we usually have one or two training runs where we get to run the course. And normally I'll have a pretty good idea of, you know, what I want to do. I'll know the line. I'll be able to visualize it, you know, at least 100 times leading up to the race. And when I get in the starting gate, then I don't really have to think about it because it's already ingrained in my mind. And a lot of the times with these tracks too, is that it's the same course that it's been for the last 10 years, you know, 15 years.

• 27:17Rich Roll?

  Right. You've been doing this your whole life.

• 27:18Speaker 01

  Yeah. So, you know, a lot of times I probably don't even need to look at the course to know exactly what I need to do. But, you know, like I said, it's, it's having that plan and being confident in what you're doing. But then at the end of the day, when you're in the course, you have to have those instincts to be able to react because. You could hit, you know, a patch of icy snow or, you know, the light's flat and you can't see a bump and, you know, you go offline and, and then, you know, you're scrambling and you have to make those instantaneous decisions that will determine whether you win or lose the race.

• 27:52Rich Roll?

  Yeah. How important are, are mentors to you? I mean, your dad, your grandfather were obviously instrumental in you becoming a skier in the first place and then you meet Peekaboo and that was a big moment for you. But where you're at right now, do you still have people in your life that you look to for guidance in different areas? Like, how does that work and how do you think about that?

• 28:18Speaker 01

  Yeah, I definitely do. I mean, I think that, you know, from an athletic perspective, you know, there's obviously the people like Roger Federer and Serena and, um, you know, I still look to people, people like Peekaboo, you know, as, as my idol. But, um, I think more so it's like my friends and my family that keep me grounded. That's most important to me. At this point, I know, you know, I know how to ski. I, I know that part of my life, but a lot of the time I just need people to be real with me.

• 28:55Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 28:56Speaker 01

  And kind of keep me grounded and, and that's how I'm able to stay the same person, you know, I, and I'm, I'm happy with who I am. I don't want to change who I am.

• 29:05Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 29:06Speaker 01

  So it's really important for me to be around those stable, um, people that really can support me the way I need it.

• 29:13Rich Roll?

  It would be so easy for you to surround yourself with a ton of people that just tell you how awesome you are all the time.

• 29:19Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's never a good idea.

• 29:21Rich Roll?

  Especially in this town.

• 29:23Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 29:24Rich Roll?

  You know, and then, you know, fast forward one year from now.

• 29:26Speaker 01

  I always say this town is really good unless you have the wrong friends.

• 29:29Rich Roll?

  Yeah. Well, it's a big city. I mean, LA is a very easy target to make fun of and there's certainly lots of things wrong with it, but there's all kinds of people here.

• 29:39Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 29:40Rich Roll?

  And there's amazing people doing incredible things that are influencing culture and

• 29:43Speaker 01

  I agree.

• 29:44Rich Roll?

  I think it's a really cool place to live. I think it just takes a little bit longer to find your tribe here than it would somewhere else.

• 29:50Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 29:51Rich Roll?

  You know what I mean?

• 29:52Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 29:53Rich Roll?

  So, um, I mean, that kind of naturally leads us into this, you know, conversation about you as, as a role model. I mean, clearly you're a role model to a lot of people, um, a lot of young women. Does that? Influence how you make decisions, like how do you kind of shoulder that sense of responsibility?

• 30:11Speaker 01

  Yeah, definitely. I mean, I've, I've kind of always felt that level of responsibility. Because I remember when I was looking up to Peekaboo and how much of an impact she had on me. And so when, now the roles are reversed, I definitely have always felt that, you know, I need to conduct myself in a certain way that, you know, not only my family would approve of, but you know, the, the young girls and kids that look up to me would approve of as well. So I started my foundation as well in 2015 and, and our mission is to empower and inspire young girls.

• 30:47Speaker 01

  I've got camps and scholarships and programs and, and you know, that's something that's really important to me. You know, being able to do something positive with the position that I'm in. You know, if I'm, I don't want to be just a ski racer, you know, I want to have a positive impact on the world. And, um, you know, help these kids accomplish their dreams and help them, you know, try to be healthy and happy and positive, productive humans.

• 31:13Rich Roll?

  Yeah, that's cool. So it's scholarships for young women to, for athletes only?

• 31:17Speaker 01

  No, no, it's something to do with sports. I mean, I, there are some scholarships we give, give out to athletes, but it's mostly educational based programs, like STEM, like the STEM programs.

• 31:30Rich Roll?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 31:32Speaker 01

  There's a couple of random things, like a girl wanted to be a race car driver and she couldn't get in because she's a girl and, you know, she needed extra help. There's, there's, you know, a couple of really interesting stories in there. But, um, yeah, it's a very diverse group and I never want to close a door to, you know, anyone. So if I can help, I will.

• 31:54Rich Roll?

  Yeah, that's cool. Well, it's such an amazing moment right now. For women and female empowerment and you know, something I say on the podcast all the time is that there's no shortage of amazing women doing incredible things. There's role models everywhere. We just don't do a very good job of shining a spotlight on them as well as we could and should. But I feel like recent events over the course of the past year have really shifted the ballast of that. And now we're, we're seeing so much more attention and respect for incredible women who are, you know, putting their stamp on, on culture in, in positive ways, which is really cool.

• 32:35Speaker 01

  Yeah, I agree.

• 32:36Rich Roll?

  But I think, you know, on that, on that subject of responsibility, I mean, it's gotta be difficult for you with the name that you have and the profile that you have, like navigating the treacherous waters of social media and like all the, you know, nonsense that goes on there. I mean, there's been, you know, well documented dramas that you had to weather through all of that. Like, how do you, do you just compartmentalize that? Or do you like not read mentions? Or how do you like deal with the noise so that you can stay focused on what it is that you're trying to accomplish and like stay positive?

• 33:09Speaker 01

  It's hard.

• 33:10Rich Roll?

  With all that nonsense out there.

• 33:12Speaker 01

  It's really hard. I think when I'm skiing, you know, in season, it's a little bit easier because I have that outlet of skiing and I don't really think twice about what people say. It's mostly in the summer that I have a harder time with it. You have more time on your hands and, you know, I'm on the bike for a few hours and I'm, you know.

• 33:32Rich Roll?

  Let's see what these people say.

• 33:33Speaker 01

  Yeah, see what's happening.

• 33:35Rich Roll?

  Never a good idea.

• 33:36Speaker 01

  Such a bad idea. And, you know, before the Olympics, it was, you know, I, it was, there's a lot of death threats and it was just like, pretty crazy. But, you know, I try to remember. I try to think about like, you know, who these people are and that they're not important people in my life and they don't care about me. So why should I care about them? You know, and that's a hard thing to keep in perspective because it does tear you down. You know, it, it, it is a hard, hard and harsh world to live in. These days, so I just do the best I can. Some days it affects me more than others, but I try really hard not to read things.

• 34:20Rich Roll?

  It's so insane that you had to, that you received death threats. I mean, it's so crazy.

• 34:25Speaker 01

  I hope you have a cliff and die. I hope you're in a wheelchair the rest of your life.

• 34:30Rich Roll?

  Just keyboard warriors.

• 34:31Speaker 01

  Yeah. Every time I fell, they're like, there you go. That's karma. Like you're a terrible person.

• 34:39Rich Roll?

  It's a crazy world that we live in.

• 34:40Speaker 01

  My family loves me. It's all that really matters.

• 34:43Rich Roll?

  It is true, though.

• 34:45Speaker 01

  I mean, it is true. It is true.

• 34:47Rich Roll?

  So what is, tell me, walk me through your training routine now because you're a beast. Were you at Gold's this morning?

• 34:53Speaker 01

  I was at Gold's this morning.

• 34:54Rich Roll?

  I saw that Instagram post.

• 34:55Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 34:57Speaker 01

  I had, I hate having to beat traffic. I have to wake up so early. Usually I go work out at the Red Bull Gym, but yeah, normally in the mornings, it's like, you know, I've got my, my warm up, my mobility, my knee warm up, and then I do core lifting, balance. Then the afternoon is biking.

• 35:22Rich Roll?

  So two days, like five days a week or something like that? You got the Peloton?

• 35:26Speaker 01

  Yeah. I don't actually use the classes most of the time though, which is kind of counterintuitive.

• 35:31Rich Roll?

  Well, they have those ones where you can ride like in through the city.

• 35:33Speaker 01

  Yeah. It's kind of cool. I like, I rode the Hawaii one and I was like, I've never been here, but this looks really nice.

• 35:41Speaker 01

  Yeah. I just, you know, my, my trainer has a program and, you know, like I said, it's difficult because I can't do a lot of things that I used to do and that I actually really need to do. But we modify things to accommodate for my limitations with my knee.

• 35:57Rich Roll?

  But like core strength, explosive power type exercises, free weights, like that's the focus of it, right?

• 36:04Speaker 01

  A lot of core, you know, rotational stability.

• 36:09Speaker 01

  Um, a lot of glute work, um, you know, cleans, power cleans, a lot of squats, deadlifts.

• 36:18Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 36:18Speaker 01

  Like kind of the basic, you know, core.

• 36:21Rich Roll?

  Right.

• 36:21Speaker 01

  Power exercises.

• 36:22Rich Roll?

  And then, once you get to the mountain, then it just, does it just become a combination of skiing plus all of that?

• 36:29Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's like a more toned down version of my workouts because most of my energy is going to my skiing.

• 36:37Speaker 01

  But it's hard on the road when you're traveling and racing because you don't always have the energy to be able to do the lifting sessions, but you really need to do the lifting sessions. Like I have a problem during the season, I tend to get really skinny because I just can't maintain that same level of weightlifting and muscle mass.

• 36:56Rich Roll?

  Well, you're just constantly traveling from one venue to the next, right?

• 37:00Speaker 01

  And also stressed.

• 37:02Rich Roll?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. The very romantic.

• 37:05Speaker 01

  Stress is a good way of making you lose weight.

• 37:07Rich Roll?

  Paint me the picture of what that's actually like. There's probably a lot of people who think you're just, you're cruising around in a private jet everywhere all the time.

• 37:13Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah, no, definitely not.

• 37:13Rich Roll?

  But it's like, it's hard, it's a.

• 37:15Speaker 01

  No, I drive. I mean, in, in Europe, you know, you drive, you, you race, you know, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, um, you get in the car, you pack up Sunday night, you drive six hours.

• 37:25Rich Roll?

  Is there like a bus or do you drive yourself? How does that work?

• 37:28Speaker 01

  We.

• 37:29Rich Roll?

  Cause you're a team, but you're not really a team.

• 37:30Speaker 01

  Yeah, we're not really, we, yeah, we're, we're not. We, almost all of us have our own cars. We have Toyotas and then we just, I'm like, I've got so much crap that I just fill mine to the top and then Lucy's my passenger.

• 37:44Rich Roll?

  So she goes to Europe with you?

• 37:46Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah.

• 37:46Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 37:46Speaker 01

  She goes everywhere with me. I mean, it's difficult, you know, when, when you're, you know, always by yourself, you know, you're in the car by yourself and then you get to the hotel, you always come home to an empty hotel room. It's pretty depressing. So I got Lucy to help me with that. It's always nice to just have a friendly face. Doesn't matter if I crash or if I won, she's always happy to see me and.

• 38:08Rich Roll?

  Right.

• 38:09Speaker 01

  I wish I could travel with my two big dogs, but you know, they're really big, so.

• 38:13Rich Roll?

  Where do they, do they live here in LA or in?

• 38:15Speaker 01

  They live in Colorado with my brother.

• 38:17Rich Roll?

  Oh, okay.

• 38:17Speaker 01

  Yeah, he takes care of them when I'm not around.

• 38:19Rich Roll?

  Uh huh.

• 38:20Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 38:20Rich Roll?

  You got a whole, you got a bunch of brothers and sisters, right?

• 38:22Speaker 01

  I, yeah, I have four, two brothers and two sisters. The lower three are triplets, the youngest three.

• 38:27Rich Roll?

  Wow.

• 38:28Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 38:28Rich Roll?

  So you, you grew up in Minnesota and then the whole family moved to Vail.

• 38:33Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 38:33Rich Roll?

  To support you, right? That's a lot of pressure on a little kid.

• 38:36Speaker 01

  It was a lot, yeah. And, and you know, I'm really thankful and lucky that I have such good siblings. You know, none of them have resented me or, you know, have held it over me that we moved out there. I mean, they all lost their friends, you know, we.

• 38:50Rich Roll?

  How old were they?

• 38:52Speaker 01

  Um, I was like 12, 13, so the triplets were six, seven.

• 38:58Rich Roll?

  Oh, well, they're so young. I mean.

• 38:59Speaker 01

  And Karen was, Karen was 10, 11.

• 39:03Rich Roll?

  Hmm.

• 39:04Speaker 01

  Um, but they didn't really match in well with the kids there.

• 39:08Rich Roll?

  Oh, really?

• 39:09Speaker 01

  So it was a pretty tough, tough transition for them.

• 39:11Rich Roll?

  Did you feel like you had to succeed to legitimize that?

• 39:14Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 39:15Rich Roll?

  For the family?

• 39:15Speaker 01

  Yeah, of course, yeah.

• 39:17Rich Roll?

  And it was a weird, it was a weird thing, like, like you didn't realize you were moving until you'd actually already moved or something? And your parents were like, okay, we're here.

• 39:25Speaker 01

  Yeah, they, they were going on vacation and then we got there and it was like, surprise, we're never going home.

• 39:32Rich Roll?

  Uh huh. And your grandfather was a ski jumper, right?

• 39:36Speaker 01

  Yeah, ski jumper.

• 39:37Rich Roll?

  And then your dad was a skier.

• 39:38Speaker 01

  Yeah, my dad was a racer. Um, my dad was also, he, he also played football. My grandfather played offense and defense football. He was a boxer. He run track and field. He was like.

• 39:51Rich Roll?

  Wow.

• 39:52Speaker 01

  Yeah, definitely have good genetics in that sense, but I can't say I'm like really as athletic as they are. I'm, I have a really good feel for the snow, but I'm not, you know, I can't play basketball. I can't run. Like I am, you know, any ball sports and I am, have no chance.

• 40:09Rich Roll?

  Yeah, but would you rather be pretty good at a whole bunch of sports?

• 40:12Speaker 01

  No, I'd rather, I'd much rather have what I have.

• 40:15Rich Roll?

  Are your siblings athletic?

• 40:17Speaker 01

  My siblings are, so my sister just ran in the, in Chicago marathon.

• 40:22Rich Roll?

  Hmm, that's cool.

• 40:23Speaker 01

  Yesterday. Really proud of her. First killed out ever to run more than like two miles at one time.

• 40:30Rich Roll?

  Uh huh.

• 40:33Speaker 01

  So it's like a

• 40:34Rich Roll?

  You're like Norwegian though, right?

• 40:35Speaker 01

  Yeah, but we don't run.

• 40:36Rich Roll?

  You'd be like cross-country skiers.

• 40:38Speaker 01

  No, no, we are like, you know, we're not racehorses. We are Clydesdales. We are built for slow and steady labor.

• 40:46Rich Roll?

  Says the woman who skis down a mountain at like 85 miles an hour.

• 40:49Speaker 01

  Yeah, I'm like, I'm like a sturdy, strong, like, train, just barreling down the mountain. You know, it's like, we're not built for, you know, I am not built like you. I am not built for endurance.

• 41:01Rich Roll?

  Yeah, but I mean, I can't do anything like you do it. So it's it all.

• 41:05Speaker 01

  It's all, it's all relative, but.

• 41:07Rich Roll?

  But your, are your siblings are there? Well, so your sister ran the marathon. Did everybody ski growing up?

• 41:12Speaker 01

  Everyone skied growing up.

• 41:13Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 41:14Speaker 01

  My, my one brother Reed was really the only one that loved ski racing. The rest of them just couldn't care less. My sister, Karen, marathoner, she only won races if we bribed her with hot chocolate at the finish. You know, or like, we got a hot chocolate waiting for you with marshmallows. And she'd be like, ooh, yay.

• 41:33Rich Roll?

  That was the only thing I could get her.

• 41:35Speaker 01

  Yeah. Or like she had to go to the bathroom. It was like, no, you gotta hold it in. And then she's like, I really gotta go.

• 41:42Rich Roll?

  And it sounds like your dad, I mean, it was pretty intense with your dad.

• 41:46Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean, my dad seemed like my grandfather is like, you know, they demanded a certain level of dedication and, you know, intensity to whatever it is that you're gonna do. You have to have pride in what you do and do it to the best of your ability. So if you didn't live up to your own standard, then, you know, it was, is definitely not an easy household to live in. But I think that it was really good because it made us better people. I can't say at the time that I felt that way necessarily all the time, but.

• 42:20Rich Roll?

  Yeah, but those are important life lessons.

• 42:22Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 42:22Rich Roll?

  That serve you well later in life.

• 42:23Speaker 01

  I mean, we all turned out really well. So, you know, I think that he did a good job.

• 42:28Rich Roll?

  Yeah. And now we're, that pendulum has swung very far in the other direction where everybody gets a medal and we're all perfect snowflakes and all of that.

• 42:38Speaker 01

  Yeah, I do not agree with that.

• 42:40Rich Roll?

  So, yeah, this is, we'll see what, what the Olympic team in 2032 looks like with that.

• 42:48Speaker 01

  Everyone gets a gold medal.

• 42:51Rich Roll?

  I wouldn't be surprised, you know?

• 43:01Rich Roll?

  I'm interested in how it works with with all the crazy doping controls that are going on right now. Like, I had Ryan Fogel in here, the director of Icarus. Did you see that movie?

• 43:17Speaker 01

  Unfortunately, I didn't.

• 43:18Rich Roll?

  You did. So what is your, what's your reaction to that?

• 43:22Speaker 01

  It's crazy. I mean, I, you know, never, I had suspicions that, you know, some people in my sport, you know, may or may not have done something. But it's really scary to see that because it's been happening for clearly a very long period of time. And, you know, it's been, it's a systematic problem. And I don't think that they probably have fixed it, even with what they've done to reprimand Russia.

• 43:52Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 43:53Speaker 01

  But it's, it's just scary to think of how, if you really, if you really want to get away with it, you can. And I'm sure people want to win badly enough to where, you know, they'll do something. But for me, like, I'm scared to even, I don't even take, you know, vitamin C. Like, I'm scared to take anything. Like, anything that I do take, like a protein powder, you know, has to be NSF certified.

• 44:18Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 44:18Speaker 01

  And so, like, for me, it's been a really big problem over my career to trust anything that I'm taking. Like, I have to send, like, if I'm taking any sort of supplement, I have to send the whole batch out to get it tested and certified. And so it's pretty exciting for me now to be able to be at this point in my career where, kind of in the same direction that, like, my, my book is, you know, Strong is New Beautiful. And, and I think that's another part of my legacy that is really important to me, trying to allow people to understand what they're doing so that they can live healthier lives and be happier. I mean, I don't

• 44:58Speaker 01

  I never liked working out, but until I accepted it and, and, you know, enjoyed it, now I feel like I need it, you know, it makes me feel better. I'm happier when I work out and, you know, that's something that I want to share with people and, and help them find that as well and find just their own way to be happier.

• 45:20Rich Roll?

  It is so difficult for an athlete of your stature to navigate what's okay to eat and not eat. I mean, every Olympic athlete that I know, like, they just stay away from all supplements altogether because it's just too terrifying.

• 45:35Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's scary.

• 45:36Rich Roll?

  And you are hearing about athletes that, that, uh, that test dirty and it turns out like they had a tainted protein powder or something like that. Like, you just can't trust anything. And I know a little bit about how those labs work where a lot of these companies are having their products manufactured and there's so much contamination and there's very little oversight and there's no regulation. Like, you have no idea what's going on there.

• 46:01Speaker 01

  Oh, no. I mean, most of what's in there is not in there.

• 46:03Rich Roll?

  You can't trust that what it says on the label is actually what's in there. And if you were to take it to a lab and test it, I can almost guarantee you that it will look very different than what that nutrition tax label says.

• 46:14Speaker 01

  Exactly. And, yeah, like you said, I mean, as an athlete, it's, it's scary to even, like, I don't even want to touch, I don't even look at it, you know, those, those, like, anything you find in, like, a, you know, health food store, none of that stuff is most likely what it says it is, you know, and the, the percentage of vitamins and supplements that are tainted or, you know, have products in them or ingredients in them that aren't actually what says on the label is, like, so high.

• 46:44Rich Roll?

  Because they're cross-producing. They're producing a multitude of lines in these facilities where all different kinds of products are getting made using the same equipment.

• 46:52Speaker 01

  Yeah. You know, I've been approached by a lot of different companies, you know, throughout my career. And I, I know there are some athletes, maybe not Olympic athletes, but some athletes that have, you know, More lenient restrictions on their doping rules. You know, they've promoted other companies, but I just have never felt comfortable, you know, saying, putting my name on a product, you know, I don't wanna tell the people, tell the public to be taking something that I wouldn't even take, you know, that I can't trust what's in it. And, you know, it's about leading a healthy lifestyle. Life is a workout.

• 47:32Speaker 01

  And, you know, like I said, I don't, I have never trusted taking anything.

• 47:39Rich Roll?

  What do you think people most misunderstand about you? I mean, there's so much press out there. People have to be getting it wrong all the time.

• 47:48Speaker 01

  Yeah, I mean, I think it just in general, you know, anyone in the spotlight has, you know, there's this perception that's out there, you know, they're, you know, I think most people don't know that I have depression. And, you know, they're like, oh, you're successful and you're pretty and whatever. And it's like, why aren't you happy? And all those things don't equal happiness, you know, because I'm successful doesn't mean that I'm happy. It's important for me to surround myself with, with, you know, the people that I love that make me happy. And that's, you know, that's something that keeps me grounded and keeps me going. But I just, I hate the misconception that like, you know, my life's perfect and I'm happy and everything's like Instagram.

• 48:34Rich Roll?

  Right.

• 48:34Speaker 01

  It's all perfect.

• 48:35Rich Roll?

  Yeah. Well, if those people had just crashed one of the times that you crashed. How does the, how does the depression work? How does that manifest?

• 48:45Speaker 01

  Um, I don't know. I mean, I've had it. I've, I've been taking medicine for it since I was like 18 or 19.

• 48:53Rich Roll?

  Hmm.

• 48:54Speaker 01

  Um, but, you know, definitely is more difficult when I'm injured. I, I just take medicine, you know, the whole, every day because I, you know, it's not worth it. It's not like, you know, you're depressed, you're gonna take an Advil, you know, it's like, it's not, you have to be consistent about how you're, you're taking it. And, and I obviously see a therapist and that's important. It definitely helps me because it's difficult to talk about, you know, some of the things in my life because I don't feel like many people understand it. And I always feel like I'm. Complaining.

• 49:29Rich Roll?

  Mm hmm.

• 49:30Speaker 01

  But, you know.

• 49:31Rich Roll?

  You're not allowed to complain. You know what I mean?

• 49:33Speaker 01

  You know, well, it's.

• 49:35Rich Roll?

  People are not gonna give you permission to do that.

• 49:37Speaker 01

  Well, it's my family mentality, too.

• 49:39Rich Roll?

  You know?

• 49:40Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 49:40Rich Roll?

  But what I'm saying is that that boxes you into like this prison where you feel like you just can't be who you. You can't be honest about your, your real life experience because people will judge you for that because you've, you know, been privileged to have experiences that most people will never get to have.

• 49:58Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's, that's tough and I, and I understand where they're coming from because, you know, I can see it from that side as well. But I do have my issues and, you know, it's definitely difficult sometimes and very, I'd say the hardest thing about what I do is just being lonely, you know? I'm, I'm on the road a lot and in an empty hotel and in an empty house and, um, you know, I'm lucky that I have a really great boyfriend and, you know, I have three dogs and I have a great family and people that support me. But it doesn't take away from the fact that I am still alone and I do feel that really deep loneliness

• 50:41Speaker 01

  that, that really affects me a lot of the time.

• 50:44Rich Roll?

  Mm hmm.

• 50:45Speaker 01

  And so, yeah, it's something that I am working on.

• 50:49Rich Roll?

  And all of that, everything kind of rides on your shoulders. The foundation, these relationships with all of these sponsors. I mean, you're alone in a hotel room in some village in Europe, uh, but there's a whole machine that's kind of depending upon you to continually produce, produce, produce.

• 51:07Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's the hard part is like, I just realized that when Lucy got run over by a car, it was like, you know, I have all these things that I have to do and, and if I can't do them, I don't know what happens. Like, you know, the whole system implodes and, you know, I had to take a week off to, you know, take her to surgery and I had to cancel all these things and, um, it was just kind of an interesting realization that, you know, I can't stop. And I'm, I'm used to grinding, so it's, you know, it's.

• 51:35Rich Roll?

  I mean, you don't stop anyway, but still.

• 51:37Speaker 01

  But still, it was like, you know. There are a lot of things in motion that, you know, I have to keep in motion and I can't just stop doing them.

• 51:47Rich Roll?

  Yeah.

• 51:47Speaker 01

  A lot of people rely on me and uh, there is a lot of feeling that I can't let anyone down, you know?

• 51:55Rich Roll?

  Yeah. Well, those are external pressures. I mean, what does it look like on the inside? Like, what, what is it, you know, behind all of this that's like driving you? Like, is it, I mean, and you can say, oh, you know, I just, I, I wanna be the best version of myself, or, you know, I like to win, or whatever, but like, what's beneath that? Like, what is really like the pilot light that is like igniting this whole thing that keeps you like on this constant grind forward to like excel?

• 52:26Speaker 01

  Um, I think it has to do with me not being, not ever being satisfied. I feel like I can do better and it's also, I think, a feeling of not being good enough. You know, somehow, you know, one win isn't enough, I need to win two and, you know, that I'm never complacent, you know, I'm never satisfied with what I have, you know, I just have the, always have that urge to keep going, you know, I want something more, do something that someone's never done before, you know, try something new, you know, start my own company, you know, work with people that no one else has worked with.

• 53:06Speaker 01

  It's like, you know, I just have this drive that makes me wanna just do, be better. And it's not, it probably is for mixed reasons, you know, like from my, from, you know, family growing up and, you know, there's, I'm sure there's a lot of psychological

• 53:27Rich Roll?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 53:27Speaker 01

  Things that go into that, but

• 53:29Rich Roll?

  Yeah, there's daddy, grandpa, and there's insecurities and all of that, these things that we all share as human beings. I mean, you know, of course, that if you're somebody who, who, you know, one, you know, this many wins is never enough.

• 53:42Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 53:43Rich Roll?

  You know, when you get that eighty-six, or eighty-seven, or eighty-eight, it's still not gonna be enough, right?

• 53:48Speaker 01

  Well, that's why

• 53:48Rich Roll?

  So how do you find peace, right?

• 53:50Speaker 01

  That's why I said

• 53:51Rich Roll?

  Ultimately, you gotta, you gotta like, that's an inside job for you.

• 53:54Speaker 01

  Yeah, exactly. That's definitely an inside job and, and it's something that I've had to kind of realize and, and work through and That's why I've just said, it doesn't matter what the season holds, whether I win or I don't win, or I break the record or I don't, this is just it, you know, I need to kind of, you know, really enjoy it and soak it all in for the last time. And then I need to, you know, just literally move forward and start something new.

• 54:21Rich Roll?

  That's when you call The Rock.

• 54:22Speaker 01

  That's when I called Dwayne, I'm like, Dwayne, what do I do now? Where is my next job?

• 54:29Rich Roll?

  I've got this script sitting right here, Lindsay, come on over.

• 54:33Speaker 01

  Yay.

• 54:35Rich Roll?

  Cool. Well, we gotta wrap this up. I want to be conscious of your time.

• 54:40Speaker 01

  Thanks. I got one more workout today, so.

• 54:42Rich Roll?

  Do you? What are you doing?

• 54:44Speaker 01

  I gotta go home and ride the bike.

• 54:46Rich Roll?

  Do you? The Peloton?

• 54:47Speaker 01

  The Peloton, yeah.

• 54:48Rich Roll?

  Do you take my girl, Robin Arzon's class?

• 54:50Speaker 01

  I don't take any classes.

• 54:51Rich Roll?

  You should, Doug. Robin's the coolest.

• 54:53Speaker 01

  I'm definitely going to when I don't actually have to follow my stupid program. But now I'm just, I'm just riding through Hawaii. I'm just like Hawaii, like this is fun.

• 55:04Rich Roll?

  I've got one right over there. You could use it if you want.

• 55:06Speaker 01

  Oh, thanks. Thanks.

• 55:09Rich Roll?

  Delightful to talk to you. I wish you well. When do you leave for Europe?

• 55:15Speaker 01

  I, we have a couple of races here in, well, in Canada first, and then I'll go over like the third or fourth of December.

• 55:23Rich Roll?

  And then you're there for how long?

• 55:25Speaker 01

  I'll come home for Christmas, thankfully. We have a nice little break and then I'm gone for like January, February, March.

• 55:30Rich Roll?

  Uh huh. And then that's it. That's a wrap.

• 55:33Speaker 01

  And then it's donezo. Then it's party time.

• 55:35Rich Roll?

  Cool. Lindsay, it's a pleasure talking to you.

• 55:38Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 55:39Rich Roll?

  How do you feel?

• 55:39Speaker 01

  I feel great. How do you feel? I feel like I was a therapy session and I, I don't need therapy this week. Thank you.

• 55:46Rich Roll?

  Good. Well, I served that role for you. I'm here anytime for you. You're easy to find on the internet, just at Lindsay Vaughn everywhere. People are not already following you. They should. And come back and talk to me again sometime.

• 55:58Speaker 01

  I will. Sounds good.

• 56:00Rich Roll?

  Pleasure.

• 56:01Speaker 01

  Appreciate it.

• 56:01Rich Roll?

  Peace.

• 56:05Rich Roll?

  It's cool, right? I mean, that was amazing. How often do you get to sit down with a four-time Olympian, somebody who is the very best ever in their sport? Super dope. Hope you guys enjoyed that. Do me a favor, hit Lindsay up online and let her know how you felt about the conversation. She is at Lindsay Vaughn with two N's on both Twitter and Instagram. And as always, check out the show notes on the episode page at richroll.com to expand your experience of this conversation beyond the earbuds. And for those of you who just enjoyed the audio version of this, you can also watch our whole conversation on YouTube at youtube.com/richroll. If you are looking for additional nutritional guidance, you're trying to get healthy for

• 56:47Rich Roll?

  the new year, check out our Plant Power Meal Planner at meals.richroll.com. Thousands of plant-based recipes, totally customized based on your personal preferences, that interfaces seamlessly with unlimited grocery lists and even grocery delivery in most metropolitan areas. We have amazing customer support, seven days a week, experts who will answer every single question you possibly can have about what to eat, when, how, and all the whys and all of that. It's available to you for just $1.90 a week when you sign up for a year. So, hey, super affordable. For more and to sign up, go to meals.richroll.com or click on Meal Planner on the top menu on my website. And if you would like to support

• 57:29Rich Roll?

  our work here on the podcast, there are a couple of simple ways to do that. Just tell your friends about the show or your favorite episode, share it on social media, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, on YouTube, on Google Podcasts, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and finally, you can support the show on Patreon at richroll.com/donate. I want to thank everybody who helped put on the show today. Jason Camiello for audio engineering, production, show notes, and interstitial music. Blake Curtis and Margot Lubin for all their video wizardry and graphics genius. David Kahn for all his help with sponsor relationships. And theme music, as always, by Analemma. Thanks and I love you guys. See you back here soon with another amazing episode. Until then, may you

• 58:13Rich Roll?

  Find strength and courage in your daily experience, and then share that with your community and loved ones. Peace. Namaste.