Five months after a crash that nearly cost her a leg, Lindsey Vonn is glowing in a way that has nothing to do with medals.
The skiing icon walked the ESPYs red carpet in heels, shared candid recovery videos from the gym, and has been spotted living fully—traveling, attending high-profile events, and sparking romance rumors—while openly declaring she has zero regrets about her Olympic risk.
Vonn’s February 8 crash in the Olympic downhill at Milano Cortina left her with a complex tibia fracture, a broken ankle, a torn ACL, and injuries so severe doctors nearly amputated her left leg. Eight surgeries followed. She spent six weeks in a wheelchair and nearly three months on crutches. Progress has been slow and painful.
Yet the 41-year-old has refused to disappear. In recent Instagram updates she documented her return to strength training, writing, “It took 5 months, but I’m finally here! Still a very long road ahead but my strength is coming back (maybe more mentally than physically still but that’s not a bad thing).” On the ESPYs carpet she confirmed she is walking again—heels and all—while noting her ankle remains broken and further surgery is still required.
Throughout it all, her message has stayed consistent: no regrets. “I would do it all again,” she has said. Those 13 seconds on the Olympic course, she insists, were “really good 13 seconds.”
Away from rehab, Vonn is embracing life with clear intention. She has traveled, including a restorative trip to South Africa and a high-profile appearance at the Monaco Grand Prix. She continues business interests such as co-owning the NWSL’s Utah Royals and is leaning into quieter joys—journaling, reading, and time with her dogs. Friends and observers note a lighter, more present energy.
Adding to the new chapter are swirling reports of a possible romance. Vonn has been linked to French skier Matthieu Bailet. Sources say the pair have been “getting to know each other,” with sightings in New York (including shopping in SoHo and attending a Broadway show) and a playful social-media exchange that fueled speculation. For an athlete who previously said she was excited to experience the Olympics single for the first time, the connection appears low-pressure and welcome.
Vonn has made clear she is not rushing any big decisions about her skiing future. She still needs additional surgery to remove hardware and address the ACL. For now she is focused on healing, living, and protecting her peace.
“Joy and happiness are really what drive me in life at this point,” she has said. The medals, the records, and the dramatic comeback already secure her legend status. What fans are watching now is something rarer: a champion who crashed hard, nearly lost everything, and is choosing to rise with grace, curiosity, and an unmistakable new glow.
Lindsey Vonn isn’t just recovering. She’s rewriting the after.
