Lindsey Vonn Gives Emotional Update After Leaving The Hospital And Thanks Doctor Who 'Saved My Leg'

Lindsey Vonn made an impressive return to skiing for the 2026 Winter Olympics at the age of 41, but her journey did not go quite how she and her team were hoping.

Just 13 seconds into her first run, Vonn's right arm clipped the gate at the opening traverse, sending her on a rapid spin. Medical personnel later reported that they could hear her screaming as they approached.

During her accident, Vonn broke her right ankle, and she had a complex tibia fracture and compartment syndrome, which, under most circumstances, would have led to her leg being amputated.

On top of that, she had torn her ACL nine days before her accident, which was involved in her doctors saving her leg.

You can see Vonn being transported away here:

Two weeks after the accident, Vonn was finally able to go home, where her healing will continue.

When Vonn was first moved from the scene, she was sent to a hospital in Italy. She spent several days in their intensive care unit, undergoing multiple surgeries before she was flown back home to continue to receive care in the United States.

Back at home and in a wheelchair, Vonn voiced her appreciation for her doctors' commitment and thoroughness.

"After two weeks, I finally made it out of the hospital. It has been quite the journey, and by far the most extreme, painful, and challenging injury I've ever faced in my entire life."

"I'll give you the full rundown. Basically, I had a complex tibia fracture... everything was in pieces."

"He saved my leg from being amputated. He did what's called a fasciotomy, where he cut open both sides of my leg. Kind of filleted it open. Let it breathe and, um, he saved me."

Vonn was also indirectly grateful for her torn ACL, which put her doctor in the right place at the right time.

"Everything happens for a reason."

"If I hadn’t [torn my ACL], Tom wouldn’t have been there [and he] wouldn’t have been able to save my leg."

Vonn recognized that she has a long road ahead of her but remained optimistic about her future.

"I wish it had ended differently, but I’d rather go down swinging than not try at all. I think what I was able to achieve was more than anyone expected to begin with."

You can watch her update video here:

Fans applauded Vonn's bravery and resilience during a hard time.

@lindseyvonn/Instagram

@lindseyvonn/Instagram

@lindseyvonn/Instagram

@lindseyvonn/Instagram

@lindseyvonn/Instagram

@lindseyvonn/Instagram

@lindseyvonn/Instagram

@lindseyvonn/Instagram

@lindseyvonn/Instagram

@lindseyvonn/Instagram

Though Vonn has a long healing journey ahead of her, she carries an incredible legacy of resilience, strength, and grit. She undoubtedly has more stories that she'll share in the future, and there's surely much more to come for her.