"Felt an obligation to do my best"- Lindsey Vonn reveals how her mother's struggles inspired her during comeback

American alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn recently reflected on her comeback to winter sports and how her mother's struggles inspired her to make a strong comeback. Vonn will be aiming to make a strong comeback at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics to be held next year.

The 41-year-old alpine skier opened up in an interview with the Outside Online portal. She revealed that her mother, Linda Krohn Lund, had suffered a stroke during childbirth, which left her physically limited, and yet she never gave up on her positivity.

Lindsey Vonn shared some inspirational aspects about her mother's personality as she stated,

“She was faced with a lot of challenges in her life and always kept trying. I felt an obligation to do my best because my mom’s injuries from her stroke were permanent, but I could have surgery and work hard and come back. It felt like that was my responsibility to her.”

Lindsey Vonn had retired from alpine skiing in 2019 due to recurring injuries. However, after completing knee replacement surgery, the former Olympic champion made a comeback in December 2024 with the aim of representing Team USA for one last time at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

---

When Lindsey Vonn made her feelings known as she trained with USA skiers for upcoming Winter Olympics

Lindsey Vonn at the Team USA Media Summit Ahead Of Milano Cortina 2026 [Image Source: Getty]

Lindsey Vonn previously reflected on her feelings as she trained with other skiers ahead of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics scheduled for next year. The upcoming Olympics will be held in Milan and Cortina from February 6 to February 22 in 2026.

Vonn shared glimpses from her training sessions on her Instagram profile, as she wrote,

"Dream team 🇺🇸💃🏼💪🏻❤️ Working hard but doing it with a smile on our faces! Love this team! Can’t wait to be cheering each other on in the races soon! Let’s go, ladies! 💪🏻"

In the aforementioned interview with Outside Online, Lindsey Vonn also revealed that she never thought of racing again. However, the knee replacement surgery brought about a massive transformation in her personality. In her words,

“I’d expected never to race again. But I can physically do it. And I love ski racing—life’s too short not to take opportunities like this."

Lindsey Vonn made her Olympic debut at the age of 17, when she participated in the quadrennial event held in Salt Lake City in 2002. She tasted her first success at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, where she won the gold medal in the women's downhill event and a bronze medal in the women's Super G event.

Edited by Animesh Pandey