"I think he knows what it feels like" - Lindsey Vonn showers love on her pet dog after undergoing knee replacement surgery

Retired skier Lindsey Vonn recently showered love on her pet dog, Leo, after her knee replacement surgery. The athlete expressed her indebtedness to her pet for his constant support throughout the ups and downs of her career.

Lindsey Vonn, the winner of four overall World Cup titles, has earned many accolades. She was the 2010 Olympic gold medalist in Vancouver in the downhill event. Moreover, Vonn has bagged two bronze medals in the downhill and Super-G categories at the 2010 and 2018 Olympics.

However, besides her achievements, Lindsey Vonn has also made headlines for her devastating injuries.

She recently underwent a knee replacement procedure after dealing with pain from her surgeries throughout her skiing career.

After the undertaking, Vonn shared an adorable Instagram post with her pet, Leo. The skier shared that she adopted him before Vonn’s second ACL surgery,

“Dogs are the best medicine in times like these… I adopted Leo right before my 2nd ACL surgery and he’s been with me through all my surgeries since.”

Vonn added that Leo understands whenever she is hurt and “doesn't leave her side.” She wrote,

"Leo was hit by a car before I adopted him and he’s got almost as many screws in his leg as I do. He never likes it when I cry but he always knows when I’m hurt and he doesn’t leave my side. I think he knows what it feels like. Just thankful I have my pups❤️🐶"

Lindsey Vonn adopted Leo, a Boxer, American Staffordshire Terrier, and Lab mix, from an animal shelter in 2014 when he was nine months old. Leo had a bad knee with multiple screws due to a car accident.

Vonn adopted him a day after announcing her exit from the Sochi Olympics. Besides Leo, Vonn is also a pet parent to three more dogs, Lucy, Jade, and Bear,

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All about Lindsey Vonn ’s knee replacement surgery

On April 9, Lindsey Vonn shared an Instagram post about her knee replacement surgery. She expressed the factors that compelled her to undergo the surgery, saying:

“I have severe tri-compartment degeneration but the main compartment that has been painful is the lateral compartment, or the outside of my knee.”

Vonn also revealed that she and her doctor, Dr. Hackett, made preparations in 2023 to “slow down the need for the replacement.” However, several parts of her knee needed surgery inevitably. She shared that her condition blocked her from doing her favorite activities,

"But I got to the point where it was too much and my knee could not handle doing the things I love to do."

In the surgery, Lindsey Vonn’s team of doctors cut off a part of her knee bone and replaced it with titanium pieces. The process is known as lateral unicompartmental replacement.