Five weeks after an Olympics crash that nearly led to amputation of her left leg, Lindsey Vonn’s rehabilitation has progressed to riding a stationary bike.
Vonn, 41, has undergone five surgeries since suffering a complex left tibia fracture after clipping a gate and sailing off course 13 seconds into her Feb. 8 run in the women’s downhill at the Milan Cortina Olympics. After being hospitalized and undergoing four surgeries over nearly two weeks in Italy, Vonn returned to the United States and underwent a fifth surgery.
She posted earlier this month that she had finally returned home and faced “a hard and painful journey” ahead.
That journey has progressed to a stationary bike, with Vonn posting a short video to social media on Friday.
“Guys…. I’m biking!! Starting with 5 minutes… making progress one day at a time.”
Vonn previously said that the damage to her leg was so great that she might have had her leg amputated if not for Team USA’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Tom Hackett, quickly treating the resulting compartment syndrome from the crash by performing a fasciotomy.
With compartment syndrome, the excessive pressure building up inside a muscle from bleeding or swelling restricts blood flow and can lead to permanent injury if not treated quickly.
Friday was Vonn’s first social media update since March 8, when she shared a clip of moving from a wheelchair to a scooter at home.
Coming out of retirement with a partially rebuilt right knee, Vonn was considered a medal contender at the Olympics before her final World Cup race a week before. In that downhill, she tore her left ACL, though she said she still could ski in the Games.
Vonn was in search of her second gold medal in the downhill, having won in 2010 in Vancouver. She also has two bronze medals. She has 84 World Cup victories, including two this season.
In a lengthy social media post on March 6, Vonn said she had no regrets in making her downhill comeback.
“At the beginning of the season no one would have ever believed I would be even close to this position. And I bet people would have laughed if it was even suggested. But winning the title was my goal… and I came painfully close to achieving it,” she wrote.
“I’m not one to talk about things I’ve achieved but in this instance I feel I need to, maybe more to remind myself than anything else…
“I was on the podium of every single downhill race, including 2 wins. I clawed my way back to #1 in the world after being retired for 6 years with a partial knee replacement and that alone was an incredible achievement I won’t ever forget. Even though in a few days no one will remember that I almost won the season title, I will remember. I didn’t want to win the title to prove anything to anyone. I did it because I knew I could. I just wish I had a chance to fight until the end to try and get it…
“However, as I sit here I have to reflect and wonder; why does a title mean so much to me? Why am I crying over a crystal trophy?
“It’s because skiing has always been the thing I love to do most in this world. It has always brought me incredible joy, especially this season. But what I am realizing is that not having one more title doesn’t make this season less extraordinary. It doesn’t take away the joy I had standing in the starting gate or crossing the finish line and seeing #1 next to my name. It doesn’t take away from the incredible time I had with my team and teammates. Singing and dancing with fans and kids in the stadium. Those memories aren’t washed away because of a title. My tears just mean I care. I always have. That’s why I work so hard. Skiing is my passion. Whether I’ll ever be able to do it again is yet to be seen. But at least I have the memories, with or without a title, I feel privileged to have had this adventure.
“Wherever this path leads I will find my way. I always do. Skiing is what I love to do but it’s not who I am. There are so many reasons to be happy. So much to be thankful for.
“Thank you all for coming on this journey with me.”
–Field Level Media
