“What I did wasn’t easy"- Lindsey Vonn opens up about competing with three fractures before knee-replacement surgery 

Lindsey Vonn has spoken of her feelings of competing with a number of injuries before retiring from skiing in 2019. The illustrious career of the American skier was marked by several ups and downs; however, she remained committed to her goals and stretched her limits despite adverse situations.

Vonn had 82 World Cup titles to her name before her retirement in 2019 and faced several injuries that could threaten her career, which had spanned almost two decades, including ligament tears and fractures. Some of her injuries include a bruised arm after a crash at the World Cup in December 2009, a concussion a week before the World Cup in Germany in 2011, and a major ligament tear and fracture during the 2013 World Championships in Austria, followed by an ACL tear that led her to cancel her 2014 Winter Olympics appearance. The American athlete had undergone multiple surgeries in her career that helped her recover and return to the slopes once again.

She spoke to Outside Online in an interview and expressed her thoughts about competing with injuries and hardships. Lindsey Vonn shared that returning after a setback is very tough, and it takes a lot of mental strength, perseverance, and patience to compete at the top level.

“What I did wasn’t easy. There aren’t words to quantify how hard it was for as long as I did it," she said.

Vonn's never-give-up attitude and desire to win helped her to continue despite hardships in her skiing career.

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Lindsey Vonn reveals the reason for retiring from skiing

Lindsey Vonn at the Team USA Media Summit Ahead Of Milano Cortina 2026 - Portraits - Source: Getty

Lindsey Vonn spoke about the reason for her retirement from skiing in 2019 in an interview with King 5 Settle. The American athlete shared that after being in the competitive circuit for such a long time, her body wasn't supporting her to compete at the sport's biggest stage.

She expressed that her retirement stemmed only from physical restrictions and not due to any other reason.

"I want to play tennis for two hours, I actually can't. If I want to go hiking or biking or scuba diving or whatever I want to do, or race in the Olympics, my body is saying yes, and for the longest time, it said no. I retired because my body couldn't take it anymore, not because I personally wanted to end my career," she said. (4:02 onwards).

Lindsey Vonn went under the knife once again in April 2024 and returned to the slopes after her recovery to compete professionally once again, aiming to compete at the upcoming Winter Olympics in 2026.