Even on a blustery day at Eldora Ski Area, the conversation wasn’t about fresh powder or icy moguls—it was all about Lindsey Vonn’s unbreakable grit.
The 41-year-old skiing icon, who came out of retirement for one last shot at Olympic glory, stunned the sports world by announcing she’ll still compete at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics despite a completely ruptured ACL in her left knee. The injury happened during a high-speed crash in a World Cup downhill race in Switzerland last Friday, which also left her with bone bruising and meniscal damage.
Yet Vonn, speaking at a news conference in Cortina, Italy, declared she’s “confident” she can race Sunday’s women’s downhill—with the help of a knee brace, intensive rehab, and her legendary pain tolerance. “As long as there’s a chance, I will try,” she said, refusing to let the setback end her dream.
Back home in Colorado, where Vonn’s legacy runs as deep as the Rocky Mountain snowpack, local skiers at Eldora couldn’t hide their admiration.
John, a longtime skier hitting the slopes, called her perseverance “very important.” “She’s been in the game a long time and at the top a long time,” he told Denver7’s Mike Castellucci. “She’s making a comeback and that’s inspiring.”
Adam was blunt: “She’s very brave.” He admitted he couldn’t fathom hitting the mountain with any tendon issue. “If I had a torn anything, I don’t think I’d be able to get up.”
Mindy, warming up inside the lodge, echoed the sentiment: “Very inspiring, absolutely.” She praised Vonn’s sheer commitment to the sport, calling elite athletes like her “built different.”
Denver7 reporter Mike Castellucci captured the mood while chatting with skiers over hot dogs in the base area—away from the wind but right in the heart of the inspiration. Vonn’s story, they said, reminds everyone why she’s one of the greatest in the sport: relentless, resilient, and refusing to quit.
This marks what Vonn has called her final professional competition. With a history of multiple World Cup wins on the Cortina course and three Olympic medals already to her name, she’s chasing one more moment of magic—ACL tear or not.
As the Milan-Cortina Games kick off this week, Colorado’s ski community—and fans everywhere—are watching not just for results, but for the kind of courage that turns adversity into legend. Vonn isn’t just racing the clock and the course; she’s racing to prove that some spirits simply won’t be broken.
