Lindsey Vonn Opens Up About Her Recovery After the 2026 Olympics and How She Perseveres (Exclusive)
The Olympian also talks about her partnership with the ‘Antibodies for Any Body’ educational campaign
Key Takeaways
- Lindsey Vonn opens up to Woman's World about her recovery journey
- Lindsey Vonn is partnering with Invivyd for the 'Antibodies for Any Body' campaign
- The athlete says the door is slightly open for her to consider skiing again
Lindsey Vonn is known for defying the odds and redefining limits, and the Olympic champion is doing just that one more time. After a terrifying crash at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics left the athlete with multiple fractures that required several surgeries, Vonn is on the long and winding road to recovery.
But while she continues to recuperate, Vonn is focusing on another cause that is important to her. She is partnering with Invivyd and their “Antibodies for Any Body” campaign, which was created to inform people about an important part of the immune system: antibodies.
Woman’s World got to sit down with Lindsey Vonn for a conversation where she opened up about her recovery process, how she’s able to persevere in the face of challenges and what the future holds for her.
Woman’s World: How have you been doing mentally and physically since your injury?
Lindsey Vonn: I’m doing okay, but there’s definitely been a lot of ups and downs. The progress is slow but relatively steady. Compared to past injuries, it’s definitely the slowest and most challenging I’ve ever dealt with, both physically and mentally, but I’m getting there. I’m definitely getting there.
Woman’s World: You made a return to competition and the Olympics after six years off. How were you feeling mentally and emotionally as you headed back into the Games?
Lindsey Vonn: I felt really good. I had taken such a long time away from the sport. I fully retired and I had been for six years. But being a competitor my entire life, it was really easy to switch the light back on to be competitive again. It was like riding a bike—I felt so at home. Being in the starting gate felt so natural and easy and fun and where I belong. I was in a great state of mind all of this last season. Going into the Olympics, of course, I faced my challenges with tearing my ACL right before the Games. But other than that, it was an incredible season.
Woman’s World: Speaking of setbacks, how were you able to persevere and continue with the journey?
Lindsey Vonn: Ski racing is a dangerous sport, and downhill, you’re going 85 miles an hour—anything can happen. Over the course of my career, I’ve had crashes and setbacks and injuries. It’s just part of the job. But I love what I do. Coming back was never in question, it was a matter of how long it was going to take and how hard I needed to work to get to where I needed to go.
All of those setbacks and obstacles just give you so much more knowledge about yourself and what you can handle mentally and physically. It gives you a lot of confidence when you face challenges again. I’ve learned over the course of my life how to manage these things, and it’s never easy. This injury is obviously the biggest challenge of my life but because I’ve been down this road so many times, I know what to do and how to manage myself.
Woman’s World: What pushes you to keep going even when things don’t go as planned?
Lindsey Vonn: I think as an athlete, you have to be adaptable and be able to figure out a way through things no matter what you’re dealing with, whether it’s injuries or personal stuff. You have to be able to compartmentalize and focus on what the task at hand is. Utilizing those mental skill sets was always my strong suit and my passion for ski racing is always the guiding light. It’s what drove me and I never felt like it was work because I was getting back to doing something that I love so much.
Woman’s World: How does it feel to know that you’ve inspired millions of people with your incredible journey?
Lindsey Vonn: So often in life, we are put in certain boxes: Certain things by a certain age or there’s a certain time you have to wave the white flag, but that’s not the case. You can do whatever you set your mind to. If you have a passion and you believe in yourself and are willing to work hard, anything is possible, no matter how old you are. That’s been the best part of this journey. So many people tell me that they tried something new or they went for a new job and that they took the leap and I think that’s amazing. That’s what we should all do. No matter how old you are, you shouldn’t be limited based on what society thinks you should or shouldn’t do.
Woman’s World: What advice would you give to someone who is looking to revisit a long-held dream?
Lindsey Vonn: I think knowing your path and having a plan, having goals set out for yourself to reach, is important. Making sure that you’re not just manifesting, but you’re working hard to get to where you want to go. I think there’s a big difference between just believing in yourself and working hard towards a goal. It’s a combination of belief and hard work that are important to be able to make those types of changes in your life.
Woman’s World: What’s it like to have so many people supporting you through this journey?
Lindsey Vonn: It’s really meaningful to me and it’s helped me a lot. This has been a hard road and when I feel down or feel like it’s insurmountable, there’s always someone writing me with an encouraging message and that definitely helps. A lot of times when you get injured as an athlete, you have people writing you for a 24 hour period and then everyone kind of forgets and moves on. Then you’re off doing rehab for eight months and it’s very isolating. But with this injury, I really have felt so much support for such a long period of time. It’s been two months now and I still have people messaging me. It’s been this constant level of support that I’ve never had before. So, it’s very meaningful to me and I really appreciate it.
Woman’s World: You mentioned in your interview with TODAY that the door to do another race is slightly open—is that something you are thinking about or working towards?
Lindsey Vonn: Well, the door is cracked slightly. I wouldn’t say it’s wide open. I still have to get over this injury and process where I am and what my life looks like. I haven’t even really begun to get into a place where I can make that type of decision, but I’m not going to say, “I’m not skiing again.” It’s not something I’m prepared to say. This injury is a process and it’s not straightforward. I want to make sure, first and foremost, that I recover fully, and that my leg is great and I can do all the things that I love to do, because I still have a long life ahead of me. But who knows? Maybe there’s a chance. I’ll just have to take it day by day and I’ll let you know when I know.
Woman’s World: Let’s talk a bit about the campaign you’re working with, “Antibodies for Any Body”
Lindsey Vonn: As an athlete, health has always been my job. Especially leading up to the Olympics, getting sick was always something that I was really concerned about. I always took extra precaution—. I couldn’t afford to get sick. Invivyd approached me and wanted to start this national educational campaign to help people understand what antibodies do for you, how they affect your immune system, and how they protect against germs and toxins and keep you healthy. I was so excited because I want to share that type of information. I think the more we understand about our health, the more power we have and we can stay healthy longer. Longevity is something that everyone wants to talk about and your immune system and antibodies are a huge part of that.
It also makes it digestible for everyone. If you go to antibodiesforanybody.com, there’s a short wellness assessment, and you can get a gold, silver or bronze. It helps make this information about your health that’s important, really easy to understand and is easily accessible.
Woman’s World: You’ve had many ventures and projects you’ve been a part of throughout your retirement—you started a production company, the Lindsey Vonn foundation—are there any projects you’re working on or that you plan to work on during your recovery?
Lindsey Vonn: Of course, my foundation is always something that I’m really passionate about and will always be passionate about. But there are things like this Invivyd campaign, which I feel is really helping people and that’s something that I really want to do. I want to help people. I will also continue mentoring other athletes and supporting women’s sports is something I’ll continue to do moving forward as well. I’m always looking for a new challenge, so we’ll see where the road takes me.
Conversation
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