She defied age, shattered doubts, and stood tall on the World Cup podium at 40. Becoming the oldest woman ever to do it, Lindsey Vonn’s legendary return to the slopes wasn’t just a win; it was a mic drop. She silenced critics who told her she was too old, too broken, or too delusional. But just as the Olympic champion reclaimed her place in the spotlight, a darker threat emerged. Not from the slopes, but from the shadows of the internet.

In a troubling twist, Vonn revealed that scammers are now using her name and that of her foundation to con unsuspecting fans. Fake accounts posing as the skiing icon or her team have been targeting followers online, asking for donations and attempting to deceive with impersonation. And Vonn isn’t staying silent about it.

Taking to Instagram with a stern warning, she informed her 2 million-plus followers that the scams had reached an alarming level. “Please be aware that Lindsey operates only one official account per platform, which we will share in the following stories. This is the Lindsey Vonn Foundation’s only Instagram account. If a fraudulent account tries to interact with you, be sure to report & block the page,” she wrote in an urgently uploaded Instagram story.

The warning came alongside verified handles of both her personal and foundation accounts. Vonn also made it clear that her official TikTok account, as of May 15, 2025, still doesn’t carry a verification badge. A detail scammers are exploiting to appear legitimate. She urged fans to double-check usernames before engaging or responding, especially when approached with messages asking for money.

For someone who’s battled through the harshest of physical injuries and online judgment, the last thing Vonn needed was digital fraud tagging along on her comeback. But like she’s done so many times before on ice, online, and everywhere in between, she’s not backing down. By calling attention to the scam, she’s not just protecting her legacy.

She’s protecting her community. And while she may have titanium in her knee, it’s her vigilance and voice that remind us just how unbreakable she truly is. Meanwhile, as Vonn battles with online fraud, she successfully proves her haters wrong when it comes to making a comeback to alpine skiing at 40.

Lindsey Vonn silenced doubters with a stunning World Cup podium at 40

They said she was too old. They said her body had taken too much. They said she should’ve stayed retired. But Lindsey Vonn had other plans. At 40, the skiing icon silenced every doubter with a breathtaking run in Sun Valley, finishing second in a World Cup super-G. And that was her first podium finish in the last six years.

The disbelief in the air quickly turned into roaring applause as she glanced at the scoreboard and punched her poles in triumph. “It’s actually really hard work,” Vonn said, raw and honest. She added, “But that’s what it takes, putting one foot in front of the other and getting through the hard days.” This wasn’t just a race. It was a statement.

After a partial knee replacement and years away from the circuit, Vonn didn’t just return; she roared back, navigating the steep Challenger course with fearless precision. The whispers about age and ability didn’t vanish, but she drowned them out. And the impact wasn’t lost on her rivals either. “She’s Lindsey Vonn,” said Federica Brignone.

Brignone continued, “She has qualities and she’s an amazing champion.” Indeed, what Vonn did on Sunday wasn’t supposed to happen — not at 40, not after countless injuries. But she believed. “Call me naive,” she had said before the season began, “but I believe in the impossible.” And in Sun Valley, she proved the impossible is just another mountain worth conquering.