How Lindsey Vonn Plans to Use Met Gala to Showcase Major Step in Her Recovery

Lindsey Vonn has been going through an intense recovery journey since she crashed during the women’s downhill event on Feb. 8 at the Milan Cortina Olympics. The 41-year-old suffered a devastating leg injury and had to be airlifted off the course. She has since undergone multiple surgeries, and nearly lost her left leg. But, her doctors found other ways to repair her complex tibia fracture (among other issues) to avoid the worst-case scenario.

The Olympic gold medalist isn’t ready to talk about her future in skiing, but she’s making other strides in her recovery in the meantime. One of the biggest steps she’ll take, literally, will be on Monday during the Met Gala.

The designer Thom Browne asked to create a look for her before her Olympic crash, and she stayed true to her word by still planning to go. Coincidentally, the event lined up with the timeline she had to try walking without crutches. Vonn spoke on CNN News Central on Friday to detail more about her Met Gala plan.

“There are a few stairs. Yes, it's going to be intense,” Vonn said. “I was like, ‘Can I do this? Can I do this?’ You know, Thom Browne asked me a long time ago. And I love Thom. We did a campaign together during COVID. And it's been like the thing that I'm like, ’Can I get there?’ Like, you know, it's like been the light at the end of the tunnel. And I'm going to try to walk. It's technically supposed to be my first day of walking a little bit without crutches. So from the start to the top of the stairs, if I can make it with no crutches, that's a huge win.”

All eyes will be on the Olympic skier when she arrives at the Met Gala anyway because of her stardom, but now even more attention will be put on her as everyone will wait to see if she can walk without crutches and master the legendary stairs at the event. It would be a huge accomplishment if Vonn can conquer the stairs and the red carpet walk on Monday night.

Vonn isn’t ready to reflect fully on her Olympic crash

During the same CNN appearance, Vonn admitted she isn’t ready to reflect fully on the devastating crash at the Winter Games quite yet.

“I think you have to be reflective. And I haven't really been able to be that reflective yet, because I'm still in survival mode,” Vonn said. “I'm still really fighting my way through it. And I've tried to start my therapy with my therapist. And I just can't really get there yet. And there will be a lesson. And I always try to look at the positives of everything. Maybe this is going to be the best thing that's ever happened to me in my life. Maybe some door will open that would never otherwise be open to me. So as horrible as this is and as hard as it is, like, who knows where the future will take me in? I'm just kind of along for the ride.”

Vonn won’t avoid confronting her emotions and thoughts about the crash forever, but she just isn’t ready at this point in time, and that’s O.K.

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