Athena Capital announces new board, headlined by Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn
Olympic gold-medalist and alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn is no stranger to going downhill—but she's soon going to be focused on making investors' wealth climb.
Vonn is joining the newly formed advisory board at Athena Capital, an all-female venture capital and private equity firm. Isabelle Freidheim, the founder and managing partner of Athena Capital, says that she and Vonn have been acquainted for some time, as Freidheim had been involved with the U.S. Olympic Committee, and had met with her at numerous conferences over the years.
'I was always impressed with how genuine she is,' Freidheim says of Vonn. Accordingly, 'Bringing someone like Lindsey in, who is like-minded and mission-aligned, brings more enthusiasm to the firm.' As such, 'we're very excited to announce her joining our board.'
Vonn is an active investor and businesswoman, but is best known for her exploits on the slopes, which include three Olympic medals, eight World Championships, and more. She is also planning a comeback for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Cortina, Italy. The comeback is notable as Vonn, now 40 years old, has recovered from a partial knee replacement as well. So, in addition to her board duties, she'll be giving the Olympics one last shot, but she's confident she can balance the two.
'Athena's mission is something that deeply resonates with me, so I was excited to get on board. When I commit to something, I do everything in my power to approach it to the absolute best of my ability. Even though the next year will be busy, I feel strongly about my role as a board member just as I do about my athletic career,' Vonn tells Fast Company.
' Competitive skiing is all about operating under pressure and being precise with your every move. It requires extensive knowledge and training to be successful in the sport. That's very similar to what venture capitalists do: evaluating potential, taking calculated risks, and trying to stay on top of everything you're doing. Both require a sharpness and tenacity, and I think a similar competitive mindset exists between the two.'
With her interest and experience in the investment space, Freidheim says that having Vonn join the board made sense. 'Lindsey's been an investor for quite some time already, and is pretty astute. She has a high profile,' she says.
Freidheim says that other members of the board will be announced one by one, on an ongoing basis.
In the meantime, Vonn will focus on skiing—and trying to make some noise on the slopes in addition to the boardroom.
'I felt better skiing this past season than I did at the end of my career, and I am without pain for the first time in years,' she says. 'When I retired in 2019, it was of necessity. My body was broken beyond repair, so I knew it was a choice I had to make, but it wasn't fully on my terms. Competing in another Olympics in Cortina would feel full-circle.'
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