Lindsey Vonn is raring to get back into the thick of things! As wild as it sounds, rumor has it the skiing legend could be making a comeback ahead of the upcoming FIS World Cup. With jaw-dropping 82 World Cup wins under her belt, Vonn could easily be lounging on her couch, watching Mikaela Shiffrin’s star continue to rise. But Vonn’s a legend, and legends? They don’t just sit still. The competitor in her is still hungry for more, and despite battling some brutal injuries, she’s back in the gym, training harder than ever.

In a recent Instagram post, Vonn gave her followers a glimpse of her intense workout routine. The first snap? She went all out with some heavy squats during biometrics testing. The rest of the pics showed Vonn strapping in for leg presses, balancing drills, and even busting out a few dance moves for fun. With her knees strapped tight, she was seen pushing through a leg extension machine, fully committed to getting those test results on point. Could this be her way of gearing up for a return to the World Cup slopes? Maybe.

She captioned the post, “Monday grind. Putting in the work. Biometrics testing with @redbull. You know me, even if I’m working hard… I still have fun! Legit wonder what the computer thought of my dance moves.” The skiing legend was rumored to have been spotted skiing in New Zealand with Red Bull and one of her former coaches and even made her way to the Rettenbachferner glacier in Sölden, Austria, where she trained with the HEAD race team. And then came the bombshell.

On October 9, 2024, Vonn took to Instagram to share a few snaps with her followers, captioning, “It’s been an incredible past few weeks. Being back in the mountains is where I find so much joy. It’s my natural habitat…even if I hate being cold lol. Excited to share more.” This definitely caught some fans off guard, considering Lindsey Vonn has been fighting off some major injury woes for years.

Back in 2019, after suffering a brutal string of injuries, including a torn ligament and three fractures from a crash at Copper Mountain, she made the tough call to hang up her skis and officially retire from the sport she had ruled for so long. Her retirement was bittersweet, to say the least. Vonn believed she still had some serious gas left in the tank, but her body just couldn’t keep up with her fierce spirit, forcing her to step away from the mountains she used to conquer.

Her internal struggle between mind and body was something she openly talked about. Reflecting on her forced retirement, Vonn said, “I am struggling with the reality of what my body is telling me versus what my mind and heart believe I’m capable of. The unfortunate reality is my mind and body are not on the same page.”

However, opting for a knee replacement earlier this year, the 40-year-old is fancying her chances in the World Cup again. But the reality is that, if Vonn does indeed make a comeback, she will be up against the likes of Mikaela Shiffrin. Breaking Vonn’s record of 82 World Cup wins, Shiffrin is one of the leading skiers in the world at the moment. 

Hearing about the possibility of the legend coming back for one more run, Shiffrin wished her luck. Shiffrin then went on to say that she did not have much information about Vonn’s comeback and thus, she was unable to make any further comments on the matter. However, even if Vonn chooses to stay retired, she will not stop skiing, as the legend recently shared an important mental health update.

Lindsey Vonn speaks about mental health

Having devoted her entire life to the sport, it is natural that an athlete will want to step away from it after retirement. But not Lindsey Vonn. She is made different. Skiing on the snowy slopes of the mountains seems therapeutic for the skiing legend. Sharing similar sentiments, Vonn let her fans know an important message on the occasion of World Mental Health Day on October 10. Taking to her Instagram account, Vonn uploaded a video of herself gliding through the glistening snow while stating that it was the sport that made her happy. 

The 40-year-old icon further detailed her mental health message, saying that she is not defined by skiing. Instead, Vonn looked at herself as a woman who loved to get involved in the sport. Although the two might seem the same, they are vastly different. What Vonn emphasized was that she did not let the sport grow bigger than her and consume her. 

Penning a heartfelt note, Lindsey Vonn continued, “I know the difference now. I don’t need skiing to make me happy but my love for it will never go away. Thankful to be back on the mountain again.” Thus, with the skiing legend looking to enjoy the sport thoroughly, it remains to be seen whether the queen turns up for one last dance or chooses to stay happily retired.