The way in which Lindsey Vonn sees it, tearing her ACL might have been a blessing in disguise.
For if she hadn’t suffered that harm roughly per week earlier than her horrifying crash at the beginning of the 2026 Winter Olympics that shattered her left leg, she might have had her leg amputated, she revealed in an Instagram video Monday morning after being launched from the hospital.
The 41-year-old Vonn mentioned she had extra fractures past the tibia and developed compartment syndrome, the place painful stress builds inside the muscle groups and blood movement is restricted.
“By far probably the most excessive and painful and difficult harm I’ve ever confronted in my complete life, occasions 100,” Vonn mentioned.
Dr. Tom Hackett, an orthopedic surgeon, accompanied Vonn to Milan after she determined to compete along with her left ACL tear, and she or he credit him for stopping amputation by performing a fasciotomy. Hackett “filleted it open” and let the leg “breathe,” Vonn mentioned.
“Dr. Tom Hackett saved my life. He saved my leg from being amputated,” she mentioned. “If I hadn’t torn my ACL, Tom wouldn’t have been there.”
Hackett then carried out a six-hour surgical procedure again within the States to rebuild Vonn’s leg. She mentioned she had “very low hemoglobin” on account of blood loss and wanted a blood transfusion.
On prime of all that, Vonn mentioned she additionally broke her proper ankle.
“I’ll be in a wheelchair for some time,” Vonn mentioned, including she’ll want crutches for 2 months when she will ditch the wheelchair.
Vonn, a three-time Olympic medalist who turned the primary American lady to win gold within the downhill on the 2010 Video games, grew emotional towards the top of her video as she described the ache she’s endured.
However she vowed to maintain pushing.
“I’d relatively go down swinging than not attempt in any respect,” Vonn mentioned. “It actually knocked me down, however I’m like Rocky. I’ll simply preserve getting again up.”
