Lindsey Vonn, the acclaimed American skiing standout, is set to undergo further surgery on her broken left leg this Saturday at an Italian hospital, with hopes of returning home soon after.
The procedure marks another step in her arduous recovery following a horrific crash during the Olympic downhill race at the Milan Cortina Games.
Speaking from her hospital bed in Treviso via an Instagram video message on Friday, Vonn expressed profound gratitude for the outpouring of support.
"Hey guys, I just wanted to give you a little update and say thank you so much to everyone that has been sending me flowers and letters," she said, noting the receipt of stuffed animals, including a shark pillow she was resting on. "It’s just been so amazing and really helped me a lot."
"It has been quite a hard few days in the hospital here. I’m finally feeling more like myself. I have a long, long way to go," Vonn continued.
"Tomorrow I’ll have another surgery and hopefully that goes well and then I can potentially leave and go back home, at which point I will need another surgery.
Still don’t know exactly what that entails yet until I get some better imaging, but it’s kind of where I am right now."
She also light-heartedly acknowledged a bruise under her eye in a written message, adding, "Almost gone though!"
The 41-year-old athlete’s ordeal began when she crashed just 13 seconds into her run during Sunday’s race, necessitating an airlift from the course.
She later confirmed a "complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly," having already undergone a "successful" third surgery earlier in the week.
This latest injury followed a ruptured ACL in her left knee, sustained in another crash just nine days prior to Sunday’s event.
Vonn’s participation in the Olympics had been a compelling comeback narrative, marking her return after nearly six years of retirement.
Despite her current immobility, she highlighted the comfort of having friends and family visit.
"I feel very lucky and fortunate to have so many people around me that have really helped me get through this so I just wanted to say thank you and go Team USA," she concluded, adding that watching her team had "really lifted my spirits. Good job, team, and keep crushing it. I’ll check in with you guys when I can."
Winter Olympics live: Matt Weston bids to end Team GB’s medal drought in skeleton
Heraskevych loses appeal to be reinstated in Olympics after helmet row
Norwegian star who confessed to cheating on his girlfriend wins another Olympic medal
Klaebo wins record-equalling gold as GB’s Musgrave shines in cross-country skiing
Quarter-final curse strikes again for Charlotte Bankes as GB medal drought continues
Ukrainian star admits his Olympic dream is over despite appealing disqualification
