Three-time U.S. Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn has gotten a lot of attention for deciding to compete in the Olympic Games on a ruptured ACL. It is astonishing enough that the 41-year-old is still performing on this elite level, much less with a serious injury that would end many alpine skiing careers.

I am no doctor, but it would seem that she is risking long-term physical repercussions by refusing to hang up her skis at this point. Vonn is smart, beautiful and has a long life ahead of her once she retires from the slopes. With a net worth estimated at $14 million, you have to wonder what would drive her to do this.

It should be noted that Vonn does not owe any of us an explanation. However, because we often use sports as a metaphor to make sense of our lives and the nature of the human condition in general, it is interesting to ponder why some of our most revered athletic superstars sometimes compete way past their primes.

Did Neil Young have some kind of insight into this type of thing when he sang: “It’s better to burn out than fade away”?

Recent examples of athletes extending their careers include striking examples........

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