Our careers don’t end after retirement from sports. The possibilities after we hang up the training gear are endless—and women athletes across sports are proving this to be true. From entrepreneurs to investors, these five women are putting the skills they learned in sport to use in other fields.

Lydia Lassila

The former Australian Olympic skier participated in five editions of the Olympic Games, winning Gold in 2010 and Bronze in 2014 before retiring after the 2018 Winter Olympics. But even before retiring she had already set her eyes on business ventures.

In 2006, she founded BodyICE, a company focused on selling reusable recovery ice and heat packs. Lassila founded the company after facing a knee injury. BodyICE’s mission is “to help people of all ages recover from their injuries and fight pain and inflammation naturally using simple ice and compression.”

Lassila also combines business with advocacy—1% of annual BodyICE sales go towards supporting environmental efforts. Lassila continues to be a resource for athletes who face injuries while advocating for greener futures.

Serena Williams

Serena Williams was a champion on the court with 23 Slam titles and four Olympic Gold medals. She also dominates the business world—listing all of her business involvements could fill an entire article. But Williams’ WYN BEAUTY might be our favorite.

Still new to the market, WYN BEAUTY launched in 2024. Williams had been working on the brand’s development before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These are products for everyone who knows they don’t have to pick between looking and performing their best,” Williams said on the brand’s website. Through a range of products, from tint SPF30 to lip serums and eyeliners, WYN BEAUTY is “committed to making movement, sports and wellness activities more accessible to young people and overlooked communities.”

WYN BEAUTY shows women and girls that being sporty and stylish aren’t opposites—they’re connected.

Allyson Felix

Allyson Felix is the most decorated woman track Olympian, with 11 medals—seven of which are Gold medals. She also has 20 World Championship medals. Despite this success, she had to leave her sponsor, Nike, in 2019 when they cut her pay by 70% when she was pregnant. She went on to win a Bronze and Gold Medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Her experience with Nike led her to form Saysh, a sneaker company that champions women’s specific needs with their FemiformityFIT Technology. Saysh is committed to valuing distinct and high quality women’s footwear—so that women never feel undervalued like Felix did in 2019. The company even allows women to exchange their shoes for free if their size changes during pregnancy.

Felix shows us how we can turn our barriers into booming businesses—without sacrificing the causes we’re passionate about.

Jessica Ennis-Hill

A track athlete like Felix, Jessica Ennis-Hill won three World Championships in the heptathlon during her career, including the 2012 Olympic title. After her retirement in 2016, Ennis-Hill became a mother-to-be and found herself shocked by the lack of current and relatable advice for women in her position. So she decided to fix that.

Ennis-Hill launched the fitness app Jennis in 2019. The app aimed to help women of all ages understand their hormones and how to adapt their training to their hormone cycles. In 2024, Jennis merged with Fitr Woman to create a comprehensive women’s hormone app that prioritizes performance and fitness for all women.

Kristi Yamaguchi

The former Olympic figure skater, who won gold at the 1992 Winter Olympics with Team USA, is an entrepreneur through advocacy. The Kristi Yamaguchi Always Dream foundation focuses on improving literacy and family connection. The foundation prides itself on “fostering family engagement and building a love for reading.”

“I feel books unlock the imagination in children, and that’s where dreams are born,” Yamaguchi said on the foundation’s website. Her foundation offers literacy programs that serve children in San Francisco Bay Area and Hawaii partner schools. Unlike Lassila, Williams, Felix, and Ennis-Hill, Yamaguchi is showing us how we can step into other fields after we step back from sports.

These women didn’t just become founders. They let their passions guide them. They continued to advocate for women in sport. And they used their platforms for change.

Every day more women are making big moves in business and entrepreneurship, and women athletes are no exception. These women are a reminder that opportunities to lead and inspire don’t end after sports do.