Lindsey Vonn is on the road to recovery following her devastating crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where she sustained a severe tibia fracture during the women’s downhill event in Milan Cortina. Just one week after revealing that her leg was nearly amputated due to complications from the injury, Vonn shared an encouraging update with fans on her rehabilitation journey.
In an Instagram post on March 5, the 41-year-old Olympic gold medalist posted footage of herself working out in rehab. Dressed in a red workout set, Vonn can be seen performing upper body exercises and carefully putting weight on her bandaged leg, which has been a significant part of her recovery. The video, accompanied by Travis Tritt’s “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive,” shows Vonn’s determination to push through despite the challenges she’s faced.
“Definitely some hard times but still thankful… still working hard,” she captioned the post. “The only goal is to get healthy. One day at a time.”
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A Life-Threatening Injury
Vonn’s journey to recovery began shortly after her crash during the downhill event on February 8. Following the fall, which occurred just 13 seconds into her run, she was airlifted to Ca’ Foncello hospital in Treviso, Italy. There, she underwent four surgeries to save her leg, including a fasciotomy to relieve pressure from compartment syndrome, a painful condition where pressure builds up around muscles, restricting blood flow and leading to serious damage if untreated.
In a video update she shared on social media, Vonn expressed gratitude towards Dr. Tom Hackett, who performed the crucial surgery. “Dr. Tom Hackett saved my leg. He saved my leg from being amputated,” she said, visibly emotional. “He did what’s called a fasciotomy, where he cut open both sides of my leg and kind of filleted it open… let it breathe and, um, he saved me.”
Mental and Emotional Struggles
Though Vonn is making strides physically, she has been vocal about the mental toll that the accident and recovery process has taken on her. Reflecting on a particularly tough day, she shared in an Instagram video, “Had a pretty hard day yesterday, everything just really hit me hard and I broke down. I know there will be a lot of days like this… the internal mental battle has just begun but moments like this help me so much.”
The road ahead is uncertain, but Vonn’s resilience continues to shine through. She emphasized in earlier posts that despite the setbacks, she has no regrets about her Olympic career. “My Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would,” she wrote. “While yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets. Standing in the starting gate yesterday was an incredible feeling that I will never forget.”
Lindsey Vonn’s bravery and determination in the face of such a life-altering injury are an inspiration to many, and fans around the world continue to support her as she navigates this incredibly difficult chapter in her life.
