Olympian ski racer Lindsey Vonn opened up about her "very slow" recovery process from the gruesome ankle injury she suffered at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
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The three-time Olympic medalist attempted to regain the women's downhill title in February despite having a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee.
Vonn wore a specialized, titanium knee brace to compete, which she said would serve as an artificial ACL of sorts.
Unfortunately, despite showing an immense amount of resilience and courage, Vonn crashed into a gate seconds into her 2026 Winter Olympic race. The 41-year-old ski racer was quickly placed on a stability board and airlifted by helicopter to a hospital, where she was later diagnosed with a tibia fracture and a torn ACL.
Vonn previously retired from the sport in 2019 before making a comeback bid earlier this year.
Lindsey Vonn Discusses Recovery Process at the ESPYS
During her appearance at the 2026 ESPY Awards, Vonn shed light on her recovery progress in an interview with PEOPLE.
"It's been a very slow process," Vonn said. "It's been five months since I've been able to actually go to the gym in a somewhat meaningful way. And walking is actually still really hard for me. My ankle is still broken."
Despite the lingering injury, Vonn is grateful to be walking again.
"I was in a wheelchair for so long. I was on crutches for so long," Vonn told PEOPLE at the ESPYS. "It was honestly almost three and a half months that I was unable to walk unassisted. I got very emotional when I was able to walk on my own."
Vonn has been keeping her social media followers updated on her recovery since her crash. The American ski racer marked the five-month milestone since her injury earlier this week on Instagram.
"I knew one day I'd get here, just didn't know how long it would take me," she wrote alongside footage of her rehabilitation efforts.
"It took 5 months, but I'm finally here!" she continued. "Still a very long road ahead. But my strength is coming back (maybe more mentally than physically still but that's not a bad thing)."
