Lindsey Vonn didn't talk about depression in the early stages of her Olympic skiing career. Part of her viewed it as a sign of weakness. Part of her didn't understand the impact it was having. And in American society at the time, mental health was not exactly the topic du jour.
"I wish I had been able to – or been strong enough to – talk about it back in the early parts of my career," Vonn told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday. "But I think the older I got and the more support I got from others, the more I realized there's no shame in it.