For many, Lindsey Vonn has been the pinnacle of skiing genius. Her celebrated career has seen her winning multiple gold medals at both the Olympics as well as the World Championships. And her record of 82 World Cup victories was the biggest challenge to overcome for all newcomers. But even the greats cannot win against time and thus Vonn ended her career in truly Lindsey fashion in 2019.

Sad right? Or so the fans thought. But it seems not. The love for slopes and the thrill of skiing was simply too much, and after much hard work and major surgery, Lindsey made a momentous comeback. And the fans were exhilarated by this news. But her return hasn’t exactly gone her way. Without any major wins, her resurrection was nearly derailed after a horrendous crash in Germany.

Yes, at the same Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where she had previously claimed multiple victories, she had victory snatched away from her fingertips. And that too in the most cruel fashion when she crashed into the ground. While for most of the race, she looked like she would take the second spot, a last-minute off-course led to her panicking.

And this panic turned out to be her undoing. Lindsey Vonn lost balance and missed the gate. And she re-injured knees that had been surgically repaired last year. But despite this bad start, Lindsey has kept her cool. Being the perennial champion she is, she understands the importance of a break. The skiing maestro shared an Instagram post highlighting her recent decision.

Lindsey wrote, “Now it’s time for a break so I can recharge and be ready for the World Championships in a few days!” Despite the hardships, the star remains positive and has even mentioned her joy at being able to participate. She wrote, “3 weeks of back-to-back racing! Some amazing races and some mistakes were made, but overall I’m extremely happy with my skiing.”

Lindsey’s journey so far and her imminent return

While Lindsey might be recovering, this is not the first time she has faced such hardships. In a career that spans nearly 20 years, she has faced numerous injuries. From torn ACLs to muscle sprains to abdominal injuries, at every point of her career, she has prevailed over them. But there seemed a point where the injuries nearly won over her.

Back in 2019, she retired initially after being plagued with injuries and surgeries. In a decision that was as shocking as it was natural, she announced to the world, “It’s been an emotional 2 weeks making the hardest decision of my life, but I have accepted that I cannot continue ski racing. I will compete at the World Championships in Downhill and SG (super-G) next week in Are, Sweden, and they will be the final races of my career.”

With this, she shed an end to a wonderful career, which saw her retire as one of the very best. But you can’t stay away from what you love, can you? And thus, at the age of 40, far beyond anyone’s expectations, Lindsey Vonn returned to the icy slopes. This was the result of an arduous surgery during which her knee was replaced by a titanium one.

And while her return is not the fairy tale many expected, she still is a powerhouse. And while she recovers, she has decided to be the source of motivation for her team. “It’s been a blast to be with such an amazing team too! These women have been crushing it and everyone is stepping it up!” She’s proud to be surrounded by talented women who push each other to excel.

But just because she is quiet doesn’t mean she is done. No, in fact, the veteran will be focusing on just one thing in this break. And that is the World Championship that will be happening in February. She mentions in the same post, “Now it’s time for a break so I can recharge and be ready for the World Championships in a few days!”

It looks like the flame is still flaring as hot as ever. And with eternal rival Mikaela Shiffrin breaking her World Cup victory record last, the fans can be assured that Lindsey will be back with a bang. To take back the title that once belonged to her.