"The three-time Olympian had already walked away once. And in the years since the 2022 Beijing Games, he had curated an enviable life working as an actor, model and LGBTQ+ advocate. He traveled the world and was a popular fixture on red carpets and at glitzy Hollywood parties. He didn't need skiing. But he started to feel like an imposter in his own life."
""Anything's easier when you watch someone else do it," Kenworthy says. "I know that Lindsey would've had to go through all the same thoughts and emotions and fears that I went through. And despite all of that, she decided to give it another go. To see her do that and it pay off, and her prove she's still that girl, I was like, 'I'm still that girl, too.'""
Gus Kenworthy retired from professional skiing three years earlier but, approaching the 2026 Olympics at age 34, wanted one more chance to compete on his sport's biggest stage. He had built a new life as an actor, model and LGBTQ+ advocate, traveled widely, and frequently appeared at red carpets and Hollywood events. Despite external success, he experienced a loss of identity and felt like an imposter. He feared physical decline, younger competitors and that life might move on without him. Lindsey Vonn's return and success inspired him to attempt a comeback. The return has involved pain, long absences and a personal promise.
Read at ESPN.com
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