American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn became the most decorated woman on the slopes. She won 82 World Cup titles and 20 Crystal globes. But her illustrious career didn’t come without its challenges, as Vonn suffered many of what would be career-ending injuries for anyone else.
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Despite her frequent visits to the hospital and countless hours spent in surgery and rehab, Vonn proved herself to be the best there can be. Once, her then-rumored boyfriend, golf legend Tiger Woods, extended a beautiful gesture in support.
Tiger Woods sent Vonn his private plane
Among her few high-profile relationships, Lindsey Vonn dated Tiger Woods for about three years, first confirming their relationship in March 2013. But even before they officially came out as a couple, plenty of rumors about their possible romance had been floating around.
A month before their relationship confirmation, the Olympic skiing champion suffered a season-ending knee injury, as she crashed at the World Championships super-G. She tore the ACL and MCL in her right knee and sustained a lateral tibial plateau fracture.
The GOAT athlete Tiger Woods sent his private plane to fetch Vonn after her crash, and she reportedly caught the plane from Salzburg. In May 2015, the couple split. Vonn wrote on social media that the couple had been together for almost three years.
They first met at a charity event in April 2012, while Vonn was going through a divorce. Vonn denied dating rumors at first, claiming a platonic friendship with the golfer. However, their relationship developed, and they eventually got together.
Lindsey Vonn had an illustrious yet injury-filled career
A true testament to her grit and determination, self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie Lindsey Vonn’s love for the sport never diminished. She went through six operations on just her knees, broke her hand, fractured her ankles, and suffered countless concussions.
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But she always found her way back onto the slope, sometimes just a taped pole holding her limbs together. With alpine skiing being an extreme sport, injury comes as a part of the job description. But Vonn’s long list of injuries and her will to compete despite them has been noteworthy.
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In 2019, nineteen years after her World Cup debut, the star retired from the sport. She claimed that her tired knees could no longer hold her weight on the skis. “My body is screaming at me to STOP and it’s time for me to listen,” she shared on Instagram, writing a heartfelt message to announce the end of her ski career.
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