Most people remember Lindsey Vonn as the woman who turned alpine skiing into a primetime event. She was the one screaming down a mountain at 80 mph, her knees basically held together by grit and industrial-strength surgical tape. But there's another side to her legacy that stays in the Google search bars years after she hung up the competitive skis. Specifically, the Lindsey Vonn Sports Illustrated appearances.
It wasn't just about a famous athlete in a bikini. Honestly, it was a weird, decade-long public diary of someone learning not to hate their own reflection.
If you look back at her first shoot in 2010, she was this dominant, "unbeatable" force in Vancouver. But behind the scenes? She was terrified. She’s since admitted she didn't feel like she fit the "model" mold. She had muscles. She had scars. She wasn't a sample-size teenager.
The Three Chapters of Lindsey Vonn in Sports Illustrated
Vonn didn't just show up once and call it a day. She had three distinct eras with the magazine, and each one happened at a massive crossroads in her life.
1. The 2010 Debut: Whistler, Canada
This was the "hometown" shoot. Photographed by Warwick Saint, it was cold. Really cold. She was 26 years old and fresh off winning gold and bronze at the Vancouver Olympics. While the photos looked effortless, Vonn later confessed she was "pretty nervous." It's sort of wild to think that the fastest woman on earth was intimidated by a camera lens, but that’s the reality of body image in the spotlight.
🔗 Read more: Miami Heat New York Knicks Game: Why This Rivalry Still Hits Different
2. The 2016 Body Paint: Petit Saint Vincent
This is the one everyone talks about. The "barely there" shoot. Vonn joined Ronda Rousey and Caroline Wozniacki in the Caribbean, but she wasn't wearing a swimsuit. Not really. It was blue and black body paint applied by artist Joanne Gair and shot by Frederic Pinet.
It took 14 hours to apply. Think about that for a second. Standing still for over half a day while someone paints a faux-monokini onto your skin. Vonn said she felt more "naked" than she actually was, but by the end, she felt more empowered than ever. It was a pivot from "skier who is trying to look like a model" to "woman who is proud of what her body can do."
3. The 2019 Retirement Shoot: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
By the time 2019 rolled around, Vonn was done. Her body was tired. She had 82 World Cup wins—a record that stood until Mikaela Shiffrin eventually cleared it—and her knees were essentially "bone on bone."
She went to Mexico with photographer Walter Chin. This shoot felt different. It was celebratory. She wasn't hiding the surgical scars on her knees; she was flaunting them. It was a "this is me, take it or leave it" moment that resonated way more than the airbrushed perfection of earlier years.
💡 You might also like: Louisiana vs Wake Forest: What Most People Get Wrong About This Matchup
Why the Body Paint Shoot Was a Turning Point
There’s a lot of debate about athletes in the Swimsuit Issue. Some people think it’s "predictable" or "sexualized." Dr. Nicole LaVoi, an expert in female athlete representation, has often pointed out how the media tends to "feminize" powerful women the moment they step off the field.
But Vonn’s take was different. She saw the 2016 body paint feature as a way to show that "strong is beautiful." In 2016, the magazine was actually making a push for diversity—that was the year Ashley Graham was on the cover. Vonn’s inclusion was part of a larger conversation about what a "feminine" body actually looks like. It doesn't have to be waif-ish. It can be built by squats and downhill speeds.
The Scars That Nobody Mentions
The most "human" part of the Lindsey Vonn Sports Illustrated saga isn't the glamour. It’s the physical toll. Between the 2010 and 2016 shoots, Vonn tore her ACL twice. She had major reconstructions. She had a permanent rod in her arm after a gruesome break.
In her final shoot in 2019, those scars were visible. For a lot of young athletes watching, that was the most important part. It proved that you can be "broken" and still be world-class. You can have surgical marks and still be a cover girl.
📖 Related: Lo que nadie te cuenta sobre los próximos partidos de selección de fútbol de jamaica
What Most People Get Wrong About These Shoots
People think these athletes do it just for the fame or the paycheck. Sure, that’s part of it. But for Vonn, it was clearly a tool for self-reclamation. In 2025, as she made headlines for a potential "comeback" at age 40, she looked back on these photos as milestones of her aging process.
She wasn't trying to look 20 in 2019. She was 34, retiring, and arguably at the peak of her personal confidence.
Practical Takeaways from Vonn’s Journey
If you’re looking at Vonn’s career—both on the slopes and in the pages of SI—there are a few real-world lessons here:
- Confidence isn't a constant. Even an Olympic gold medalist struggles with how they look in a mirror. It’s a work in progress.
- Scars tell the story. Don't hide the "damage" your life has done. Whether it’s sports injuries or life's general wear and tear, those marks represent your resilience.
- Vulnerability can be a brand. Vonn’s willingness to talk about being "nervous" or "uncomfortable" actually made her more marketable than if she had pretended to be a perfect pro model.
Vonn’s legacy isn't just a collection of trophies or a folder of magazine clippings. It’s the fact that she moved the needle on how we view "strength." She showed that you can be the most aggressive person on a mountain and still want to feel beautiful in a bikini (or blue paint).
In 2026, as she continues to push the limits of what a 40-year-old athlete can do, those old magazine spreads serve as a reminder: the body is a tool, a canvas, and a testament to everything you've survived.
To really understand the impact, you have to look at the timeline. From a nervous 26-year-old in the snow to a confident 34-year-old on a Mexican beach, the progression is clear. She didn't just change the sport of skiing; she changed the way we look at the people who play it.