Lindsey Vonn details ‘dark’ and ‘unrelenting’ recovery following Olympic crash

Lindsey Vonn opened up about the “dark” and “unrelenting” recovery period she is currently facing in the wake of her horrific crash at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in February. The champion skier took to X to share how the extensive injuries she sustained in the crash had affected her mental health after spending two weeks in the hospital. 

“Today was a hard day…my physical battle began the second I got hurt, but the mental battle started today,” she wrote. “It hit me like a ton of bricks.” 

“It’s a battle I’m used to because I’ve done it so many times. I have always learned from every injury. Each one has made me a better and stronger person in different ways…but the battle of the mind can be dark and hard and unrelenting,” she continued. 

“I do know hard days are coming, but I will find a way back to the top of the mountain of life.” Lindsey crashed just 13 seconds into her run in the women’s downhill ski event on February 8, leaving her with a complex tibia fracture that required several surgeries to repair. 

After being released from the hospital on February 23, she shared an update with fans and supporters on her recovery process and revealed that her leg came close to being amputated. 

“I’m finally out of the hospital!!! After almost two weeks of [lying] in a hospital bed, almost completely immobile, I’m finally well enough to move to a hotel. It’s not home yet, but it’s a huge step!” she wrote on Instagram. 

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“Now I will focus on rehab and progressing from a wheelchair to crutches in a few weeks. It will take around a year for all of the bones to heal, and then I will decide if I want to take out all the metal or not, and then go back into surgery and finally fix my ACL. It will be a long road, but I’ll get there. At least I’m out of the hospital.” 

Learn more about Lindsey’s hospital stay below…

In the accompanying video, Lindsey explained that, as well as her tibia bone being shattered into pieces, doctors also had to contend with her compartment syndrome, which is a painful buildup of pressure around the muscles that can cause permanent damage. 

Thankfully, her doctor performed a fasciotomy, which helped release the pressure and saved her leg from being amputated. Lindsey spent extra time in the hospital as she had lost a lot of blood during the surgeries and needed a transfusion, and had also broken her right ankle in the crash. 

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“It’s been really hard, and this is definitely not the way I wanted to end my Olympics, but it’s been really inspiring to watch my teammates,” the Olympic gold medalist said as she teared up. 

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“No regrets, and I just appreciate all the love and support. It’s been really amazing, overwhelming to an extent. I wish it had ended differently, really, but I’d rather go down swinging than not try at all,” she added. “And I think what I was able to achieve was more than anyone expected to begin with.” 

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Lindsey received support not only from her legion of fans but also from her fellow stars, like soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo. “Champions are defined by the moments they win, and the moments they refuse to give up. @lindseyvonn the mountains you conquered were never bigger than the strength you carry. Keep fighting. Legends always rise,” he wrote in the comment section. 

“Damn. You defy the meaning strong! Hang in there! We are thinking & praying for you,” added actress Katharine Foster, while actor Taylor Lautner chimed in: “1 of 1.”