It's been a tumultuous last few years for Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, both on the slopes and in her personal life.
In January 2013, the star athlete's divorce from husband and former coach, Thomas Vonn, was finalized. Then just last month, Vonn was forced to pull out of contention for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, after re-injuring her right knee in December.
That's enough to get anyone down, but in the February issue of "Self" magazine, the 29-year-old gold medalist says she's open to whatever challenges life throws at her.
"What's the point in being afraid? I've crashed a million times," she tells the magazine. "If you go around being afraid, you're never going to enjoy life. You have only one chance, so you've got to have fun."
She added: "Getting divorced was the scariest thing I've ever done. I'd been dating him since I was 18, and I realized I wasn't happy anymore. I wasn't sure if I was strong enough to be on my own, but I found out I am. Now I'm in charge of my whole life. It's terrifying -- and exciting. It gave me a lot more self-confidence and a greater sense of self-worth."
Vonn credits boyfriend, golfer Tiger Woods, with helping her deal with her injuries and painful rehab the last few months.
"He's helped me stay patient through rehab," she said. "He helped me take it one day at a time. I'd say, 'Why can't I do this? I want to!' And he'd say, 'You'll get your chance. It will come.' We're good for each other. I don't know what he's learned from me, to be honest. But we push each other and help each other when we're down."
Vonn, who announced her relationship with Woods back in March 2013, has said she hopes to make a full recovery in time for next year's World Championship in Vail, Colorado. In the meantime, she'll serve as Olympic correspondent for NBC during this year's games.
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