Lindsey Vonn: Knee surgery changed everything | "My body is saying yes" for 2026 Winter Olympics

Lindsey Vonn opens up about the pivotal moment that made her Olympic comeback possible: her 2024 knee surgery. After years of chronic pain that affected nearly everything in her life, the surgery changed everything. For the first time in years, her body started saying "yes" instead of "no."

The transformation was life-altering. Suddenly Lindsey could play tennis for two hours, go hiking, biking, scuba diving—or race in the Olympics. She retired not because she wanted to end her career, but because her body couldn't take it anymore. Now, at 41, she's been given the rare opportunity to say goodbye on her own terms.

Racing in Cortina makes the comeback even more special. Retiring in 2019 knowing the Cortina Olympics was coming—and that she wouldn't compete there—was the hardest part of leaving the sport. She never imagined she'd be racing at 41 (she'd planned to retire at 30), but life had other plans. Now she views it as an adventure, an ever-evolving story where she keeps learning and growing. No matter what happens, she's going to enjoy every moment of this opportunity.

FULL INTERVIEW

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