Lindsey Vonn’s father, Alan Kildow, always believed his daughter was destined for success. He spotted her talent early and moved the family to Colorado so she could chase her skiing dreams. Still, their relationship wasn’t always easy. “He always supported me when I did well, which was 90 percent of the time, but when I didn’t, he didn’t handle it very well,” Vonn told The Denver Post in 2010. Since then, she has earned four medals at major championships: Three World Championship bronzes and one Olympic bronze in downhill. But after her injury at the 2026 Winter Games and the long road to recovery that followed, even her father’s faith began to falter.

In an extended interview that aired on April 7 on Craig Melvin’s podcast Glass Half Full, she revealed that her father’s statement may have the opposite effect, as it is pushing her to consider one more comeback.

“I’m surprised he said that, because if you know me, you know that the one way to get me to do something is tell me I can’t do it. So my dad might be the tipping point of why I come back one more time,” Lindsey Vonn said with a laugh.

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Vonn’s comments come just days after her father weighed in on her post-injury future. Back in February, when asked if he had any influence over her decision to compete again after breaking her leg in the downhill:

“She’s 41 years old, and this is the end of her career,” Kildow told The Associated Press over the phone. “There will be no more ski races for Lindsey Vonn, as long as I have anything to say about it.”

Interestingly, it was Alan Kildow himself who introduced Lindsey to skiing at an early age. Before becoming an attorney, Kildow was a talented ski racer, winning the junior nationals before a knee injury cut his career short at 18. But he passed his love of the sport to his daughter. But watching her in pain at the Olympics, his protective instincts surfaced.

Kilde knew the Olympics wouldn’t be easy for her, as just nine days before the Olympic downhill race, Lindsey Vonn had ruptured the ACL in her left knee. Still, she chose to compete, but tragedy struck during her run at the Winter Olympics on February 8, 2026.

Vonn crashed early in the downhill and sustained a complex tibia fracture that required reconstruction. The fall also fractured her fibular head and tibial plateau and caused extensive trauma to her ankle. But at that time, Kildow stayed by her side, sleeping in her hospital room overnight.

Looking back on the crash, he said, “First, the shock and the horror of the whole thing, seeing a crash like that. It can be dramatic and traumatic. You’re just horrified at what those kinds of impacts have.”

But at the same time, Kildow knows, “She’s a very strong individual. She knows physical pain and she understands the circumstances that she finds herself in. She’s able to handle it better than I expected. She’s a very, very strong person, and I think she’s handling it really well.”

That strength would be tested again if she chooses to race once more. But is she coming back?

Lindsey Vonn eyes one last run after Olympic crash

Vonn, who won gold and bronze at Vancouver 2010 and another bronze at PyeongChang 2018, had returned to competitive skiing in late 2024 after a retirement that began in 2019. However, shortly afterwards, she won her spot in the 2026 Games, following impressive times in the lead-up races, but an early crash ended what many thought would be her final Olympic dream.

Nevertheless, despite this setback, Vonn is not shutting the door completely. “Ski racing is something I love to do, and I never got a final run,” she told Craig Melvin on his podcast. “I never got to say goodbye. Maybe I would do one more race to say goodbye. Maybe I’ll race again. It might be fun to do one more run. We’ll see.”

And when she was straight asked whether she was considering returning to competition, Lindsey Vonn admitted, “Much to my family’s dismay, yes, I think it’s something, I’ve been so isolated. I’m still kind of trapped in this I didn’t have my Olympic dream situation. “But I need to walk and be out in public and be living life, and I think that will give me a different perspective. Right now I can’t say what the future holds because my mind can’t get there yet.”

Vonn has been careful not to rush a decision. In mid-March, when fans pressed her about returning.

She said, “No, I’m not ready to discuss my future in skiing.” She furtehr added,” My focus has been on recovering from my injury and getting back to normal life. I was already retired for six years and have an amazing life outside of skiing. It was incredible to be #1 in the world again at 41 and set new records, but at my age, I’m the only one who will decide my future.”

So far, Lindsey Vonn’s comeback looks to be in progress. She is able to perform multiple unassisted pull-ups while using crutches, pedaling on a stationary bike, and standing from a wheelchair while putting weight on her bandaged leg. Each milestone brings her closer to full strength and leaves fans imagining the possibility of one final, unforgettable run down the slopes.