Lindsey Vonn’s return to the Olympic stage was one of the more fascinating stories of the Winter Games. Unfortunately, thanks to a couple of violent crashes, the attention quickly turned to the 41-year-old’s recovery from multiple injuries.
After suffering a torn ACL a week before her Winter Olympics return, Vonn crashed and shattered her tibia, fibula and ankle. After surgery to repair the fractures, she began suffering from compartment syndrome. Thankfully, Dr. Tom Hackett, the head physician for Team USA Ski and Snowboard, was able to save her leg.
Lindsey Vonn opens up about her recovery
In a new interview with People, Lindsey Vonn says that while her physical recovery has been progressing well, her mental recovery has proven much more challenging.
“It’s definitely been up and down,” Vonn told the media outlet. “I’d say in the last month, it’s definitely gotten better, but of course, there were really low moments. I hate being dependent on people, and was pretty much 100% dependent for everything. It was quite a challenge, just being in the hospital alone for two and a half weeks. Being completely immobile for that extended time period was so rough.”
The crash occurred on Feb. 8. She didn’t fly back to America until Feb. 20. And it wasn’t until a month after her crash at the Olympics that she finally made it home.
“There were a million things that were being said online, that people were so convinced that they knew even though they don’t really have a concept of ski racing, and what it physically takes,” Vonn continued. “So I think reading all of that online was hard. Of course, I tried not to read it, but I also didn’t really have any other way of being connected to the outside world, because I was so isolated.
“Sometimes I got frustrated and, you know, had a hard time staying away from battling trolls on Twitter,” she added. “But sometimes you just gotta stand up for yourself. And I maybe did that a few too many times, but it’s hard.”