Lindsey Vonn gives health update after ‘hard day’ in Winter Olympics recovery

Lindsey Vonn has a difficult recovery ahead after suffering a traumatic injury during the Winter Olympics in Italy and requiring multiple surgeries

Lindsey Vonn has a long road ahead (Image: Getty)

Lindsey Vonn has opened up on the brutal recovery battle she is now facing after her tragic Winter Olympics crash. Days after suffering an ACL injury, Vonn did the unthinkable by reaching the starting line in downhill skiing in Italy, but suffered a devastating fall that saw her airlifted to the hospital.

Vonn has since required multiple surgeries and has faced compartment syndrome and a broken ankle, narrowly avoiding losing her leg. The veteran credits Dr Tom Hackett with saving her injured leg from being amputated by cutting open both sides of Vonn’s leg to allow it to breathe by relieving pressure.

Vonn, 41, obviously has severe physical injuries to overcome in the months ahead but is expecting a testing mental rehabilitation, which has already reared its head.

“Today was a hard day… my physical battle began the second I got hurt but the mental battle started today,” she posted on X.

“It hit me like a ton of bricks. It’s a battle I’m used to because I’ve done it so many times. I have always learned from every injury.

“Each one has made me a better and stronger person in different ways… but the battle of the mind can be dark and hard and unrelenting.

“Someone I care about said ‘I am a master at the psychological game of life…’ I don’t know if that’s true…. I do know hard days are coming but I will find a way back to the top of the mountain of life.”

Vonn had to be airlifted from the mountain (Image: Getty)

Vonn is back in the United States but initially spent longer in hospital than anticipated.

“I was in the hospital a little longer than I hoped because I had very low haemoglobin from the blood loss from all the surgeries. I was really struggling, the pain was a little bit out of control and I had to have a blood transfusion,” she revealed.

“That helped me a lot and I turned the corner and now I am out. I am in a wheelchair right now, I am very much immobile, and I will be in a wheelchair for a while because I also broke my right ankle.

“I hope I can be on crutches in a little bit but we will see, and I will probably be on crutches for at least two months. But I’ll get right to work on rehab and see what I can do and take it one step at a time, like I always do.”