As Lindsey Vonn called it quits in 2019, she said, “It was really bad, and I kept getting surgeries to try to” and exhausted from the pain. But Lindsey, being Lindsey, couldn’t stay away forever. Even though she was gone from the slopes, her connection with the world of skiing and her fans never waned. And these fans got the front seat throughout the struggles she faced post-retirement. These same fans got the surprise of a lifetime when she returned in 2024. Turns out you can’t keep “Don Don” away from the slopes. But what was going through her mind as she returned after half a decade? Well, as Vonn recently revealed, she has quite the story for that!

But for that, we need to go back to April last year when Lindsey made a decision. A decision to get knee replacement surgery. It was sure to bring relief to her. But apparently, things went a bit too well. Within a month, the titanium replacement brought her ability to extend her right leg, which she had not done in a decade. But perhaps she got a bit too ambitious. Well, in the legend’s own eyes, it wasn’t so. In a March 9 interview with CBS News, she recalled wondering just how far she could push her new knee. “It was pretty quickly after,” Vonn explained.

So, to test her theory, she entered her first post-retirement race at the FIS Fall Festival at Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado. That was December 27th, 2024. Now, 3 months later, we know the results. Among 45 competitors in the event, Vonn placed 24th by finishing in 1:07.2,3 which left her 1.44 seconds behind Austrian athlete Mirjam Puchner. Competing after such a long absence, the results were impressive. But while she made her comeback look effortless, Vonn admitted she had her doubts.

She continued, “I was so surprised at all the things I could do almost immediately after surgery that I couldn’t do before that hurt me before bothered me before. I had no swelling, I had no pain, and it just was such a drastic difference.” That strength left her asking herself, “If I can do all these things that used to hurt me before… where can I take this?”

As it turned out, she took it right back to the slopes. “I was smiling, you know, through the back of my helmet,” she said. “I always kept waiting for the pin to drop — that something was gonna hurt and reality would kick in… but it never did.” The feeling of taking her first run left Lindsey Vonn bewildered by how good it felt. 

“I could do the thing that I love the most in the world — without pain… It didn’t hurt. I couldn’t feel it. It was like brand new, and it blew my mind.” The feeling was better than fresh because it surprised her so much. The experience seemed unreal to her, but others doubted it would turn out this way.  Many people predicted she would never reach the level of performance she displayed before. But Lindsey isn’t giving up.

Lindsey Vonn turns back the clock

Since her comeback, Lindsey Vonn has faced challenges in her skiing, yet she handles this fresh start with uncommon serenity. Life after her comeback seems easier to her than many others expect, according to her. Vonn commented on the major shift in the situation. “Now it’s totally different,” Vonn explained. “Hey, you know, everyone says, ‘Oh, you’re older, so it must be harder.’ Actually, it’s a lot easier.”

Throughout those years, her body developed severe pain levels while she triumphed, only to leave her bed each morning. The demanding nature of competing demanded continuous work that included extensive training sessions and recovery protocols, as well as the ability to overcome discomfort during each session. The combination of her titanium knee replacement and reduced pain level has enabled her to have more strength and ability than she has enjoyed during the last several years.

 After all, beyond the Slaloms and the downhills, hospitals have been Lindsey Vonn’s second home throughout her career. She had more injuries in one year than most have in years. This includes the time she tore both her ACL and MCL back in 2013. She has since followed it by a fractured ankle in 2016 and a broken arm the same year. The final nail in the coffin was the 2018 torn ligament, which forced her to retire.

But now she’s back. Yet, not everyone believes in her comeback. After a disappointing performance at the World Championships, critics were quick to label her as too old and too slow. But Vonn isn’t letting the noise get to her. Instead, she’s taking things one step at a time, and she’s not ruling out something big, like a return at the 2026 Olympics in Cortina, Italy.

“I’ve always enjoyed racing in Cortina, and I’ve had a lot of success there,” Lindsey Vonn said. While she’s unsure what the next year and a half will bring, she’s keeping her options open. Knowing Vonn’s determination, counting her out would be a mistake. After all, she has proved all her career that she shines the brightest when you least think she would win.