Good morning, Broadsheet readers! The Biden administration attempts to make childcare more affordable, Kim Kardashian tries to buy back Coty’s stake in her brand, and Lindsey Vonn’s skiing career taught her about investing. Have a thoughtful Thursday.
– Beyond the slopes. After retiring from competitive skiing in 2019, Olympian Lindsey Vonn has dipped her toes into the world of investing. The three-time Olympic medalist approached building a portfolio the same way she thought about her years of brand deals as an athlete: with a long-term mindset.
For 20 years, she’s represented Red Bull and Under Armour. For 15, she’s been a spokesperson for Rolex. “I don’t ever look at anything short-term,” she says. “It served me well in my career. And now in this new investment world.”
Vonn spoke with journalist Jo Ling Kent at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference in Park City, Utah, this week.
Lindsey Vonn speaks at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference in Park City. Stuart Isett/Fortune As an investor, Vonn has backed the injury-prevention company Hyperice and the at-home fitness brand Tempo. She’s a backer of Angel City FC, the Los Angeles-based women’s soccer team.
“I look at investing in the same way I looked at relationship-building for my brand, and what partners I chose to work with,” Vonn added. “It’s what’s authentic to me, what I believe in, what I use, what I believe is going to be a value long term.”
Vonn also started the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, which aims to help girls grow and gain confidence by following their passions, from art to athletics. She hopes to counteract the drop-off in sports that happens when girls reach their teenage years. “I’m here to try to tell them that they can and give them the skill set,” she says.
Her years as a professional athlete—navigating injuries and mental health challenges—taught her that grit is the most important quality.
“Successful people are determined and gritty,” she says. “It’s not the smartest people in the room. It’s the people that are willing to sacrifice the most to be the best.”
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
@_emmahinchliffe
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