Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn won 84 World Cup races — 3rd all-time, men or women — and became the first American woman to win Olympic downhill gold. She did it while accumulating a medical chart that reads like a war veteran's: torn ACL, fractured tibial plateau, severed arm tendons, a knee replacement. After retiring in 2019, she returned in 2024 at age 40 with an artificial knee and won again. Her memoir is called Rise. The title is not a metaphor.
lindseyvonnfoundation.orgLindsey Vonn on resilience, injury comebacks, and the will to keep racing
Vonn's story is not just about winning — it's about returning. These videos collect her Olympic moments, her HBO documentary, and her interviews on what it takes to come back when your body says no.
Injury comebacks and the HBO documentary
These videos tell the harder story: the injuries, the rehab, and the decision to return with an artificial knee at age 40.
It's not about how many times you fall. It's about how many times you get back up.
The Woman Who Kept Getting Up
Lindsey Caroline Vonn (née Kildow) was born October 18, 1984 in St. Paul, Minnesota. She learned to ski at age two, met Olympic champion Picabo Street at age nine, and knew immediately what she wanted to become. She made her first Olympic team at 17 at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. Four years later at Torino 2006, she crashed during a training run and was airlifted to a hospital — then competed anyway, finishing 8th in the downhill. At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, she won the downhill gold, becoming the first American woman ever to do so. She added a super-G bronze. She was the best female ski racer on the planet.
Over her career, Vonn amassed 84 World Cup wins (third all-time, men or women) and 20 Crystal Globe discipline titles — an all-time record for any skier. She won World Cup races in all five alpine disciplines, one of only six women in history to do so. She was the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year in 2011. But the numbers don’t tell the real story. The real story is the injuries: a bruised arm at the 2009 World Championships (competed anyway), a bruised shin and broken finger at the 2010 Olympics (won gold anyway), a torn ACL and MCL and fractured tibial plateau in 2013 (missed the 2014 Olympics), a severely fractured humerus in 2016 (returned to racing in six weeks). In April 2024, she had her right knee replaced. In December 2025, at age 41 with an artificial knee, she won her 83rd World Cup race — the oldest downhill winner in history.
Vonn announced her retirement in 2018 and skied her final race in February 2019, winning bronze at the World Championships — the oldest female medalist at 34, medaling at six different World Championships, a first for any woman. Her HBO documentary Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season earned two Sports Emmy nominations. Her memoir Rise: My Story was published in 2022. In 2024, she returned to competition with a new knee and won again in 2025. Her foundation provides scholarships and sports programs to girls from underserved communities. The lesson of her career is not that she won. It’s that she kept getting up.
Where to Go From Here
Lindsey Vonn is featured in the Great Athletes hub. For the Olympic-excellence parallel, see Michael Phelps and Simone Biles. Browse the full Body & Health library.
Self Growth Videos curates the world’s best self-improvement content into guided paths. Explore High Achievement — Women or the full teacher library.
Key Ideas from Lindsey Vonn
Resilience is a practice
Vonn's career was interrupted by injuries that would have ended most athletes. She kept coming back because coming back was the only thing she knew how to do.
Your body is not your limit
At 40, with an artificial knee, she won another World Cup race. She proved that what the body 'can't do' is often a belief, not a fact.
Empower the next generation
The Lindsey Vonn Foundation provides scholarships and sports camps to girls from underserved communities — turning her resilience into a platform.
Books by Lindsey Vonn
Rise: My Story
The story behind the medals: injury, recovery, family, and the psychology of a champion.
Strong Is the New Beautiful
Vonn's New York Times bestseller on strength, health, and confidence for women.
Lindsey Vonn resources
Start with her memoir and foundation.
Lindsey Vonn FAQ
Quick answers for readers discovering Lindsey Vonn through Self Growth Videos.
How many World Cup races has Lindsey Vonn won?
84 World Cup wins — 3rd all-time (men or women), behind only Mikaela Shiffrin and Ingemar Stenmark. She is the most accomplished American ski racer in history.
How many injuries has Lindsey Vonn had?
Her injury history spans her entire career: torn ACL, fractured tibial plateau, severed arm tendons, broken fingers, and a knee replacement in April 2024. She returned to win a World Cup race in December 2025 at age 41 with an artificial knee — the oldest downhill winner in history.
What is the Lindsey Vonn Foundation?
Founded in 2015, the Lindsey Vonn Foundation provides scholarships and empowerment programs to girls ages 10-18 from underserved communities. It has distributed over $1 million in scholarships and hosts 'Strong Girl Camps' to build confidence through sports.
