Olympic gold medalist, best-selling author, philanthropist and investor Lindsey Vonn
Photo by Michael Muller.
Spotlight
Lindsey Vonn headlines USC Annenberg’s 2026 commencement ceremony
April 22, 2026
Communication and Marketing Staff
Updated April 22, 2026 9:01 a.m.
Olympic gold medalist, best-selling author, philanthropist and investor Lindsey Vonn will deliver the keynote address at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism’s 2026 commencement ceremony on May 15. As part of the program, Vonn will be introduced by USC Annenberg alumna and ABC News correspondent and co-anchor Sophie Flay.
One of the most decorated athletes in history, Vonn is a master storyteller who has created a global media platform shaped by the lessons of sport, struggle and reinvention. Through books, documentaries, digital channels and business ventures, she has built a career defined by how athletes communicate and shape their own narratives.
“A champion athlete and a pioneer in how athletes communicate and shape their own stories, Lindsey embodies the values that define USC Annenberg,” said Dean Willow Bay. “Her fearless pursuit of excellence — and her ability to give voice to the human experience behind competition — offers our Class of 2026 a powerful model of courage, authenticity and modern leadership.”
Across her career, Vonn has combined physical audacity with emotional openness — a duality that has earned her worldwide admiration and lasting influence. With three Olympic medals, eight World Cup season titles, and four overall World Cup championships, she is widely regarded as one of the greatest ski racers of all time.
Across a nearly 25-year career, she returned from repeated injuries, including a torn ACL and critical nerve damage in her arm, to remain at the top of the sport. After retiring in 2019 and undergoing a partial knee replacement, Vonn returned to elite competition in 2024, marking a comeback that drew widespread international attention. In the 2025–26 season ahead of the Milan Cortina Olympics, she earned seven podium finishes in eight races, including two victories at St. Moritz and Zauchensee.
Beyond competition, her work extends across publishing, production, digital media, philanthropy and investment.
She is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, Strong Is the New Beautiful (2016) and her memoir Rise: My Story (2022), which chronicles both her athletic career and personal journey. Her HBO documentary, Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season, traces her journey from her childhood in Minnesota to the World Championships in Åre, Sweden, in 2019. That same year, she founded Après Productions, a company focused on stories centered on sport, women and perseverance, including PICABO, a documentary she co-directed about Olympic champion Picabo Street.
Vonn has also been an early and active user of social media to engage audiences and shape her public narrative. Across platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, she has documented her training, injuries and return to competition, while sharing personal perspectives and values. She has spoken about the role of digital platforms in allowing athletes to connect directly with fans and build long-term success beyond competition.
Through the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, she supports girls through scholarships, education and athletics. She is an investor in the National Women’s Soccer League teams the Utah Royals and Angel City FC, and has spoken about taking a values-driven approach to partnerships and supporting the growth of women’s sports.
ABC News correspondent and co-anchor Sophie Flay ’18
Photo courtesy of Sophie Flay.
Vonn will be introduced by Sophie Flay, who earned her BA in broadcast journalism from USC Annenberg in 2018. Flay is an ABC News correspondent and a co-anchor for World News Now and Good Morning America First Look. She previously served as a general assignment reporter at ABC7/KABC-TV in Los Angeles and has been a lecturer at USC Annenberg since 2022.
USC Annenberg’s past commencement speakers have included media leader Oprah Winfrey; Academy Award-winning actor and activist Jane Fonda; tennis legend Billie Jean King; founder of culinary brand Momofuku David Chang; and media innovator and entrepreneur Maverick Carter.
The USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism will honor more than 1,000 candidates for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in communication, journalism, public diplomacy and public relations. USC Annenberg’s commencement ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. at Alumni Park on USC’s University Park campus.
