After several hard knee injuries, Lindsey Vonn ended her Olympic hopes in early January 2014, Fox News reports.  

«I've crashed a million times.», she said. «If you go around being afraid, you're never going to enjoy life. You have only one chance, so you've got to have fun. Getting divorced [last January, from her former coach, Thomas Vonn] was the scariest thing I've ever done. I'd been dating him since I was 18, and I realized I wasn't happy anymore. I wasn't sure if I was strong enough to be on my own, but I found out I am. Now I'm in charge of my whole life. It's terrifying—and exciting. It gave me a lot more self-confidence and a greater sense of self-worth.»

Have you ever felt insecure when it comes to your body?

 "Definitely. It was hard to go to the Met ball [last May], with people who eat lettuce and a Diet Coke for dinner. It's difficult to be at events with a room full of women who weigh half as much as you do. That's always tough. I don't envy them, though, because so many of them are skinny-fat. They have more cellulite than most people. I feel like I need to give them a cheeseburger."

You struggled with depression for years. How do you feel now?

 "Normal again, now that I'm on medication. I have sad days, but they're rare and the lows aren't as low. [This past year], I've been the happiest I've ever been. A part of me is missing when I can't ski, but I've learned there's more to make me happy, like stand-up paddling and Jet Skiing—things I'd never done before. Or being with people I love and just enjoying life."

"Tiger Woods helped me stay patient through rehab. I'd say, 'Why can't I do this? I want to!' And he'd say, 'You'll get your chance. It will come.' We're good for each other."

"We're pretty competitive in everything we do: tennis, Ping-Pong, who wakes up earlier. I lose more than I win, but I try!"