Lindsey Vonn on Her Third SI Swimsuit Photoshoot and Life After Retirement

Walter Chin

Third time’s a charm! Lindsey Vonn is officially a three-time Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model. This pro has rocked bikinis in the snow, worn nothing but body paint, and now is back and better than ever with stunning photos from her shoot in Puerto Vallarta. While we LOVED seeing Lindsey kill it on the slopes throughout her decorated career, we definitely think she’s a natural on the beach. We caught up with Lindsey to discuss life after retirement and what she loves most about being a part of the SI Swimsuit family!

On how it feels to be a three-time SI Swimsuit model: It feels incredible! I remember the first time I was asked to be in the magazine and I was shocked they asked me. I wasn’t sure of myself and was struggling with self confidence. Now being in my third issue its amazing to see how far I’ve come as a person. I’m finally confident in myself and I think you’ll be able to see that in the pictures.

On her favorite part of working with SI Swimsuit:  The best part of working with SI Swimsuit are the locations! It's a mini-vacation for me. Plus the crew and photographers are so great to work with. 

On her all-time favorite SI Swimsuit memory: I think the body paint shoot was the craziest shoot I’ve been on. From the 13 hours of painting to running around basically naked…it was a trip! By the end of the shoot I felt so confident I didn’t even realize I was only wearing paint! 

On how it feels to be retired: I’m still coming to terms with being retired. It's hard to go from a very strict schedule to having everything up in the air. I'm still very busy but there are some days when I have to force myself to sleep in and relax. My last race in Sweden was one of the happiest days of my life even if it was bittersweet. I really wanted to go out on top and so placing third in my last race, with all my friends and family there, was everything and more what I could have hoped for. It definitely made leaving what I love easier. 

Walter Chin

On what’s next for her: I'm looking forward to spending more time with my boyfriend, friends and family. I also have a few business ventures in the works so there's a lot to look forward to! 

On what she is going to miss the most and the least about competing: I am definitely NOT going to miss the cold! The thing I’ll miss the most about competing is being around my team and the rush and thrill of throwing myself down the mountain at 80mph.

On getting back out on the slopes post-retirement: It was great! It was actually refreshing to slow things down and not be competing. That was also an important part of me retiring was that I still wanted to be able to ski  and eventually teach my kids to love skiing, too. 

See all of Lindsey's photos from SI Swimsuit 2019:

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by JADE SWIM.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by AExAE Swim.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by FAE Swim.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by beijobaby.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by TRIANGL.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Lybethras.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Beach Bunny.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Haus of PinkLemonaid.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Lybethras.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Haus of PinkLemonaid.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Lybethras.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by JADE SWIM.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen Beachwear.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by FAE Swim.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by JADE SWIM.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by TRIANGL.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Lybethras.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by beijobaby.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Haus of PinkLemonaid.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Lybethras.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by FAE Swim.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen Beachwear.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Lybethras.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by FAE Swim.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Haus of PinkLemonaid.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by FAE Swim.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen Beachwear.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by AExAE Swim.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by FAE Swim.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by TRIANGL.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen Beachwear.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by beijobaby.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by AExAE Swim.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen Beachwear.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by AExAE Swim.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen Beachwear.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by beijobaby.

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen Beachwear.