Five months after a devastating fall at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, skiing superstar Lindsey Vonn is still battling serious injuries — but her unbreakable spirit remains intact.
The 41-year-old Olympic champion opened up about her grueling recovery in a candid interview, revealing that while her left leg is healing, her right ankle continues to be a major obstacle.
“My left leg is actually healing really nicely. I still have no ACL, so I need to get the metal out and fix that,” Vonn shared on SportsCenter. “But yeah, my right ankle’s been the problem child. It’s still broken, but it doesn’t hurt that much.”
Vonn’s comeback story was already one of the most inspiring in sports. After retiring and then returning in 2024 to chase another Olympic dream, she suffered a brutal crash that derailed her medal hopes. Now, she’s facing the toughest physical and mental test of her legendary career.
The recovery has demanded extreme patience — something Vonn admits she’s still learning.
“I thought I knew something about patience, but it really tested me in so many ways,” she said. “I felt like I was working so hard but the progress was so slow. The bones don’t heal the same way that ligaments do.”
In the immediate aftermath, Vonn spent six weeks in a wheelchair and relied on crutches for roughly two-and-a-half months. The long period of limited mobility took a heavy toll, but she’s now celebrating small but meaningful wins.
She ditched the crutches to attend the Met Gala in May and later stunned at the ESPYs, where she presented an award to Stephen Curry — even slipping back into heels.
“I’m walking, I’m in heels,” Vonn said with a laugh. “I can’t say it’s comfortable, but is it ever?”
Despite the pain and disappointment of missing out on Olympic hardware, Vonn says she has zero regrets about her return to competition.
She’s proud of making it back to the biggest stage and views the risk as worth taking. While a full return to competitive skiing is still on the table, Vonn knows she has a long road ahead.
Her honesty and resilience continue to inspire fans as she takes it one step at a time — literally.
