Skier Lindsey Vonn hit another milestone in her recovery from the gruesome leg injury she suffered at the 2026 Olympic Games.
“Look out world! Here we come 🛴 💃🏼🐶 was my first time outside in over a month,” she wrote via Instagram on Thursday, March 19, alongside a video of her walking her dog, Chance, with the help of an electric scooter.
Vonn, 41, adopted the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in August 2025 while still recovering from the loss of her dog, Lucy. Her other dog Leo died the same day Vonn crashed at the Olympics and had to be airlifted to a local hospital.
“This has been an incredibly hard few days. Probably the hardest of my life,” Vonn, 41, shared via Instagram on February 18, 10 days after the crash. “I still have not come to terms that he is gone …The day I crashed, so did Leo. He had been recently diagnosed with lung cancer (he survived lymphoma a year and a half ago) but now his heart was failing him. He was in pain and his body could no longer keep up with his strong mind.”
She continued, “As I layed in my hospital bed the day after my crash, we said goodbye to my big boy. I had lost so much that meant something to me in such a short amount of time. I can’t believe it. My boy has been with me since my second ACL injury, when I needed him most. He held me on the sofa as I watched the Sochi Olympics. He lifted me up when I was down. He layed by me, and [cuddled] me, always making me feel safe and loved. We have been through so much together in 13 years.”
Five days after announcing Leo’s death, Vonn revealed that her injuries were even more serious than the public knew. In addition to the torn ACL that she sustained prior to the Olympics, the crash resulted in a complex tibia fracture, fractured fibular head, fractured tibial plateau and a broken ankle. Her injuries led to compartment syndrome, which she said almost led to a leg amputation.
As her recovery continues, Vonn has said she is not ready to discuss if and when she will return to skiing.
“My focus has been on recovering from my injury and getting back to normal life,” she wrote via X on Sunday, March 15. “I was already retired for 6 years and have an amazing life outside of skiing. It was incredible to be #1 in the world again at 41 years old and set new records in my sport, but at my age, I’m the only one that will decide my future. I don’t need anyone’s permission to do what makes me happy. Maybe that means racing again, maybe that doesn’t. Only time will tell. Please stop telling me what I should or should not do. I’ll let you know when I decide.”
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