Lindsey Vonn Sends a Strong Message to the Skiing World Shortly After Concerning Career Update

Lindsey Vonn has never been one to back down from a challenge. She made a remarkable comeback to competitive skiing with a titanium knee at the 2025 Alpine Ski World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria. However, her comeback took a dramatic turn when she suffered a painful mishap during the Super G event on Thursday. After catching a gate, Vonn was seen clutching her right upper arm and was unable to finish the race. Despite the setback, she remains focused on her career and shared a highly motivating message. And what’s that?

Shortly after the race, Vonn was being interviewed by Canada’s Olympic network. Vonn was all smiles during the interview despite her fall. When the interviewer asked her about her thoughts on the young girls who were present at the tournament to support her. Vonn shared an inspiring message for the world. In a post shared on the official Instagram handle of ‘Canada’s Olympic Network,’ Lindsey shared, “…..the coolest thing about being in this position is that you know, I can hopefully inspire others to follow their dreams and never give up on themselves.”

Lindsey Vonn’s career has been defined by resilience. In her last race before retirement, she won a bronze medal in downhill at the 2019 World Championships in Are, Sweden. Now, as she fights back through setbacks once more, it seems she wants young athletes to believe in themselves, no matter what the odds are. “…My whole life, since I was a kid, people told me that I would never be anything. And I want kids to know that they can be whatever they set their mind to, as long as they work hard and have fun. So, you know, it’s not always about the results. It’s about giving your best effort. And I always give 100%. So, no matter if I finish or I don’t, you always can count on me giving it my best,” she added.

Lindsey Vonn has been skiing since the age of three with her father and grandfather. Vonn competed in her first-ever race at the age of seven and was already a part of international competitions at the age of nine. Vonn has seen a fair share of injuries in her career (to mention a few, multiple injuries in 2017, the 2019 retirement injury), but the fighting spirit in her makes her return every time, and this time also she is back to win more and keep inspiring the generations.

But what exactly caused her to stop midway on her big return?

Lindsey Vonn explains her collision during the race

Lindsey Vonn looked solid through the opening turns as she pushed out of the 30th skier in near-perfect conditions and was behind by 0.14 seconds at the first checkpoint. However, things took a turn when she clipped the 11th gate, colliding with a panel. Instantly, she leaned down, grabbed her arm, and carefully shook it, showing signs of discomfort. At her first split, she had posted her 16th fastest time, but her attempt to get more aggressive led to this incident, and she wasn’t able to finish.

While fans were concerned after seeing her, after the race Vonn assured everyone that she was fine. “I am OK. I hit my nerve somehow, and I hit the gate and lost feeling in my arm, but it’s coming back slowly,” she told the press after the event. Reflecting on the mistake, Vonn admitted that it was an unusual error from her side. “I was too early to the turn. I’ve never done that before in my career,” she said. Adding to her challenges was her battling with cold and flu since Tuesday. She had shared a photo on social media of herself wearing a mask and inhaling medication, hinting at her condition. Even after all of this, Vonn remains determined to race in the Women’s downhill event scheduled for Saturday, February 8.

Although her race ended in disappointment, Vonn’s comeback has already shown positive signs. She finished 14th in her first race at St. Moritz in Switzerland on December 21st, 2024, and was placed sixth and fourth in the last two races in Austria in January 2025. With her mind being set on competing at the 2026 Olympics, Vonn is proving that she’s not done making history just yet. Whether she wins or loses, her message to the world remains clear—passion and perseverance will always define her legacy.