Lindsey Vonn is coming back home. After a violent crash on the Olympia delle Tofane course left her rushed into surgery in Italy, Vonn spent the past several days in the hospital as doctors worked to stabilize her injured leg. Now, with those initial procedures behind her, she has finally shared an update that many fans have wanted to hear for a long time

“Surgery went well today! Thankfully, I will be able to finally go back to the US! Once I’m back, I will give you more updates and info about my injury…” Vonn announced on Instagram.

Addressing the kind of reaction that had washed over social media ever since her crash, she wrote, “I have been reading a lot of messages and comments saying that what has happened to me makes them sad. Please, don’t be sad. Empathy, love, and support I welcome with an open heart, but please not sadness or sympathy.”

Vonn’s medical procedures began right after the 41-year-old was rushed to Ca’ Foncello hospital in Treviso. Her first surgery was performed to stabilize her leg, followed by the second one to prevent swelling and maintain blood flow. Details of her third and fourth surgeries weren’t mentioned, but everything has gone well.

Despite this ordeal, Vonn now dreams of getting back on the slope soon.

The final part of her social media post included a hopeful message, as she wrote, “I am still looking forward to the moment when I can stand on the top of the mountain once more. And I will. 💪🏻❤️”

U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association president and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt confirmed that the organization’s medical team has been coordinating closely with Italian doctors and is now arranging Vonn’s return to the United States for continued treatment.

“We’re working through all of that at the moment,” Goldschmidt said. “We’ve got a great team around helping her and she’ll go back to the US for further surgeries.” She added that she visited Vonn twice in the hospital and described her condition as stable, saying, “She’s not in pain.”

In skiing, crashes are pretty common. However, the injuries vary from simple to even life-threatening. Lindsey Vonn, who raced with a ‘100%’ torn ACL, got her arm hooked on the gate, which made her twist and lose control. This resulted in a complex tibia fracture that kept her in the hospital for over a week, while her left knee joint had external fixators on.

Goldschmidt, who was on site during the race, described the immediate aftermath. “The impact, the silence, everyone was just in shock. You could tell it was a really nasty injury,” she said. She noted that Vonn “took an aggressive line and was all in,” adding that the crash was “inches off what could have ended up a very different way.”

Vonn later addressed criticism from some on social media who questioned her decision to compete so soon after tearing her ACL nine days earlier.

“When I think back on my crash, I didn’t stand in the starting gate unaware of the potential consequences,” Vonn wrote. “I knew what I was doing. I chose to take a risk. Every skier in that starting gate took the same risk. Because even if you are the strongest person in the world, the mountain always holds the cards.”

She continued, “But just because I was ready, that didn’t guarantee me anything. Nothing in life is guaranteed. That’s the gamble of chasing your dreams, you might fall but if you don’t try you’ll never know.”

Her U.S. teammate Keely Cashman also pushed back against suggestions that the ACL injury caused the crash. “People that don’t know ski racing don’t really understand what happened,” Cashman said. “She hooked her arm on the gate… she was going probably 70 mph, and that twists your body around. It had nothing to do with her ACL.”

Throughout the surgeries, Vonn has been surrounded by family, who took to social media sharing messages of support for her.

Lindsey Vonn’s sister was visibly emotional

Following Lindsey Vonn’s multiple surgeries, her sister Karin Kildow sent a message of support via her social media with a carousel of photos from the hospital.

“Can’t quite explain the emotional range of this week. But it really gave me an important perspective; I realized that whether it ends up the best scenario or the worst scenario, the common thread is that after it’s all done, we end up in a similar place, surrounded by friends and family, and life continues on,” the American skier’s sister wrote.

“We laugh and cry and celebrate no matter what life throws at us. I really believe everything happens for a reason, and there will be a silver lining even when it’s hard to see at first. Thank you to everyone who sent beautiful messages of support publicly and privately. Beyond proud of you, @lindseyvonn… we are all here for you no matter what ❤️.”

Karin was present at the Olympia delle Tofane course when the crash happened and later watched her sister get airlifted off the mountain by helicopter. In that moment, the family did not yet know the full extent of the injury.

Even Vonn’s father, Alan Kildow, acknowledged the severity of the situation, telling the Associated Press that he would prefer she not race again if he has any influence on the decision. Vonn, however, has made it clear she has no regrets. “The ride was worth the fall,” she wrote. “When I close my eyes at night I don’t have regrets and the love I have for skiing remains.”

It was a scary moment, as the fear of the unknown shrouded them. So, as Vonn prepares to leave Italy, she does so with her legacy not diminished but enhanced, owing to her resilience.