"Pretty wild to look back" - Lindsey Vonn gets honest about long recovery journey from struggles to podium return

Lindsey Vonn is reflecting on her comeback journey to the slopes after she was forced to retire because of a knee problem. But a partial knee replacement surgery helped Vonn forge a comeback to the slopes. In a recent post on her Instagram, Vonn reflected upon her comeback journey.

She tore her LCL and suffered three tibial plateau fractures in her left leg when she crashed during her training in November of 2018. It was before her last podium finish at the 2019 World Championship. The physical toll these injuries were causing led Vonn to retire from the sport in 2019.

After her partial knee replacement surgery last year, Vonn was able to make a comeback in 2025. Reflecting upon the journey, Vonn posted on her Instagram that she went from lying in bed and walking with crutches to being back to the slopes. She opened up about her journey in the post and said:

" One year ago, I was lying in bed, recovering from a partial knee replacement surgery. My only goal was to be pain-free, so it’s pretty wild to look back and see the work and steps that led me back to ski racing. To think about where I am now… back on the podium after 6 years away from the sport…And the best part is that I have no pain and I feel healthier and stronger than I have in years."

Lindsey Vonn had a robot-assisted surgery, which was performed by Martin Roche, an orthopedist based in South Florida. Partial parts of her knee were replaced with two titanium pieces. Vonn’s comeback on the slopes is a testament to the work and the training she has put in and the surgery that can give a lot of confidence to other athletes.

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Lindsey Vonn suffered a heartbreaking loss after her recent podium finish

Lindsey Vonn became the oldest Alpine ski racer to have a podium finish at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup finals in Idaho. With a strong comeback after retiring in 2019, Vonn secured second place at the World Cup finals in Idaho.

Right after the event, she had to head back home to Utah to be with her long-time travelling buddy Lucy.

Lucy was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. In an emotional move, Vonn dedicated an Instagram post to Lucy, who partnered with her in various adventures and was dearly loved by Vonn. In the post, Vonn wrote a heartfelt note to Lucy:

"There will never be enough words to describe how much I love her and my heart will never ever be the same without her. There will never be another Lucy. I know she is with my Mom, Bear and our family up in heaven. I envision them all together, running around, happy and no longer in pain, always guiding me and watching out for me from above."

Notably, Vonn has accumulated three medals at Olympic games, eight at World Championships and three at World Junior Championships.