Lindsey Vonn Faces Recovery After Serious Injury at Olympics

Lindsey Vonn has a challenging journey ahead. The skier recently suffered a compound fracture in her leg during her first run at the Milan-Cortina Olympics. This injury came just a week after she had recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Quite a rough turn of events for the 41-year-old athlete.

It’s no secret she had hoped to celebrate with a medal around her neck. Instead, she’s now dealing with medical hardware inside her body.

Vonn shared on Instagram that she underwent her fifth surgery, which included numerous plates and screws, and it lasted over six hours. She expressed gratitude for her surgical team, particularly Dr. Hackett and Dr. Viola, saying, “I survived the surgery…it took just over 6 hours to complete.” She added a note about her recovery: “Due to the extent of the trauma, I’m having a bit of a hard time post-op and haven’t been able to leave the hospital yet… but it’s coming soon. Baby steps.” I imagine that must be tough; being in recovery isn’t easy, especially after such significant trauma.

Adding to her stress, Vonn shared the heartbreaking news that her beloved dog, Leo, passed away the day after her accident. In a heartfelt message, she stated, “As I lay in the hospital bed, I said goodbye to my big boy. These were the most difficult days of my life, but I have not yet begun to accept his death…I will always love Leo.” That kind of loss, while dealing with a severe injury, seems incredibly heavy.

After the accident, Vonn was airlifted from the mountain and has since returned to the United States. It’s a tough situation to navigate, and it makes you realize how much athletes endure, both in competition and in their personal lives.