Olympic skiing champion Lindsey Vonn has returned to her home following a catastrophic injury that nearly cost her leg during last month’s Milan Cortina Olympics. The 41-year-old athlete took to social media Sunday to share that she faces “a hard and painful journey” during her recovery process.
Vonn sustained a severe fracture to her left tibia after hitting a gate and careening off the course just 13 seconds into her downhill run on February 8th. The injury required five separate surgical procedures since the accident occurred.
The skiing legend revealed that amputation was a real possibility until Team USA’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Tom Hackett, provided immediate treatment for compartment syndrome by performing an emergency fasciotomy. This condition occurs when excessive pressure from bleeding or swelling within a muscle compartment cuts off blood circulation, potentially causing permanent damage without swift medical intervention.
Following her initial treatment, Vonn remained hospitalized in Italy for nearly two weeks, undergoing four surgeries before returning to the United States for a fifth procedure and additional recovery time prior to traveling home Sunday.
“Home sweet home. Feels good to sleep in my own bed,” Vonn posted on Instagram. “I’m focused now on therapy and getting healthy. It’s going to be a hard and painful journey but I am putting all of my energy into it, like I always do.”
Adding to her physical challenges, Vonn is also grieving the loss of her beloved dog Leo, whom she rescued from a shelter in 2014. She revealed earlier this month that Leo had been diagnosed with lung cancer after previously battling lymphoma eighteen months ago.
“The day I crashed, so did Leo,” Vonn had posted, noting February 9th as the date of his death.
In Sunday’s post, she reflected on the emotional difficulty of returning home, writing: “wheeling through the front door without Leo greeting me like always was a very hard reality. A reality I had to face. Along with many other hard realities that lay in front of me as I move forward….”
The veteran athlete told her followers she plans to “take some time for myself” and will share updates when possible, expressing gratitude for the overwhelming support she has received.
Vonn had emerged from retirement despite having a partially reconstructed right knee, and was viewed as a strong medal contender before her devastating crash. Just one week prior to the accident, she had torn her left ACL during a World Cup downhill race, though she maintained she could still compete in the Olympics.
The accomplished skier was pursuing her second Olympic gold medal in downhill, having previously won in Vancouver in 2010. Her Olympic collection also includes two bronze medals. Throughout her career, she has accumulated 84 World Cup victories, including two wins this season alone.
