Lindsey Vonn walked into the Kering Foundation's Caring for Women Dinner in New York in a striking red asymmetrical gown, a world away from the hospital bed she was in just months earlier. Speaking at the event, the 41 year old alpine skier reflected on the crash that nearly ended far worse than it did, and the outlook it left her with.
A crash that turned into a fight to keep her leg
Vonn went down just 13 seconds into her downhill run at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in February, clipping a gate before sailing off course. The fall left her with a complex tibia fracture and a broken ankle, compounded by an ACL tear she had suffered in a separate training crash just over a week earlier. The injury caused compartment syndrome severe enough that doctors raised the possibility of amputation before an emergency surgery ultimately saved her leg.
What she took from it
Asked to reflect on the experience, Vonn kept her answer simple. She said the crash taught her never to take anything for granted, and that life being short means it has to be lived and appreciated one moment at a time. She added that everything can change in an instant, and that the only real response is to stay grateful and keep enjoying life while you can.
Vonn, one of the most decorated athletes in skiing history with an Olympic gold medal and 84 World Cup victories, had only returned to competition in 2024 after a six year retirement. She is scheduled for ACL surgery in November and says she will decide her competitive future only after that recovery plays out, but for now her focus has clearly shifted toward perspective as much as performance.