Lindsey Vonn Chats About Finding 'Happiness and Joy' After a Breakup for Arianna Huffington Podcast

Michael Loccisano/WireImage Lindsey Vonn

Lindsey Vonn is opening up about the other side of a breakup.

In a new episode of Thrive Global founder and CEO Arianna Huffington's podcast What I've Learned, with Arianna Huffington, the retired Olympic skier chats about finding empowerment in personal setbacks.

Vonn, 36, tells Huffington that after splitting from husband Thomas Vonn in 2011 she felt "really strong" and "reinvigorated" in her skiing career. She explains of the ski season that followed in 2012 and 2013, "That was the first time after I was divorced that I really felt like I was doing things a hundred percent on my own."

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"I was able to channel all of my emotions into ski racing and it worked out well," she adds.

Huffington remarks that it was a "great lesson for anyone going through tough personal times. How we can find empowerment in another part of our life, while we are going through the pain of a breakup or whatever it is in our personal lives."

Responds Vonn, who announced her split from fiancé P.K. Subban in December 2020, "Obviously everyone has their struggles. Everyone has different parts of their life that are painful and difficult to get through. But when you get on the other side of it, you find so much more happiness and joy. If you embrace that, you can learn a lot and find yourself."

Huffington's podcast features conversations between the media mogul, 70, and musicians, athletes and tech entrepreneurs, covering the past year of the pandemic and the lasting life lessons it has brought. Others featured have included CNN's Van Jones and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

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Also in the episode, Vonn opens up about her 2019 retirement due to her extensive knee injuries, acknowledging, "I shouldn't be retired at 36."

What I've Learned Lindsey Vonn

Still, she tells Huffington, "I think it was a good choice to retire when I did. I think all of the athletes are really having a hard time right now. Their routines are totally different."

Vonn's episode of What I've Learned is available on Audible, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.