This American skiing great revealed that she nearly lost her leg after the recent crash at the Winter Olympics. She posted a message for her fans, while also thanking her surgeon, when he received a barrage of messages from around the world, including soccer greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Cristiano Ronaldo Sends Strong Message To Support the Olympic Champ
Lindsey Vonn competed at the Winter Olympics earlier this month, representing the United States in the Women’s Downhill event. The 41‑year‑old was soon airlifted to a hospital after she suffered a tibia plateau fracture and fractured fibular head following a collision with a gate just 13 seconds after the start.
On Monday, February 23, she shared the gruesome details in an Instagram reel, and the comments section was flooded with messages of support. Cristiano Ronaldo was among those who took time to send her a text, urging her to keep fighting and sending her all the strength to get back to skiing soon.
“Champions are defined by the moments they win, and the moments they refuse to give up. Lindsey Vonn, the mountains you conquered were never bigger than the strength you carry. Keep fighting. Legends always rise.” wrote the Portuguese superstar.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic also sent a short message, saying, “Giving up is not an option 💪🏽”
Vonn was hospitalized for nearly two weeks in Italy after the accident on Feb 8, and has now been transferred to a hospital in Colorado, United States. She said she is hoping to be on crutches in a few weeks, with the bones unlikely to fully heal for a year.
The skiing legend has revealed that her fractures were close to leaving her leg amputated, thanking Dr. Tom Hackett for the efforts in saving her.
Her reel caption read, “Compartment syndrome is when you have so much trauma to one area of your body, that there’s too much blood, and it gets stuck, and it basically crushes everything in the compartment. All the muscle and nerves and tendons, it all kind of dies. And Dr. Tom Hackett saved my leg. He saved my leg from being amputated.”
The 41-year-old also has a torn ACL, which has not been fixed after the four operations this month. She has yet to decide on it and will take a call later this week.
Vonn is expected to be out for at least a year before she can walk normally again, while a wheelchair and crutches will be needed for at least two months.
