Lindsey Vonn almost lost her leg after her severe Olympic crash, but the ski legend says she may not be finished skiing … expressing that she doesn’t want her legacy to conclude on that “horrible last run.”
The iconic American alpine ski racer spoke with Vanity Fair for her first interview since the February incident … where Vonn detailed the immense pain she experienced as doctors attempted to treat a severely broken leg, ankle, and other injuries, which necessitated multiple surgeries.
Tom Hackett, the head physician for Team USA Ski and Snowboard, stated Vonn was in agony and wasn’t responding to “huge amounts of fentanyl, morphine, oxycodone, like every narcotic you can imagine.”
It wasn’t just the physical pain … the situation weighed on her mentally as well, knowing her career could end on such a brutal fall.
That said, Lindsey’s not closing the door on a comeback.
“I don’t like to close the door on anything, because you just never know what’s going to happen,” Vonn stated.
“I have no idea what my life will be like in two years or three years or four years. I could have two kids by then. I could have no kids and want to race again. I could live in Europe. I could be doing anything.”
“It’s hard to tell with this injury. It’s so messed up. I really feel like that was a horrible last run to end my career on … I only made it 13 seconds. But they were a really good 13 seconds.”
Even at the age of 41, her physical therapist, Lindsay Winninger, mentioned she was in “peak physical condition” heading into the Winter Olympics … another reason she may not be ready to retire.
“I don’t want people to focus on this crash and be remembered for that,” Vonn expressed.
“What I did before the Olympics has never been done before. I was number one in the standings. No one remembers that I was winning.”
For now, Vonn is still bandaged up and using a wheelchair to recover at her home in Park City, Utah, but has already returned to the gym.
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To say she’s returning is way premature, but knowing Lindsey Vonn, do not underestimate her.
