Lindsey Vonn's ski verdict twists in the knee

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Nov 19, 2013 at Copper Mountain in Colorado, Lindsey Vonn left the ski slopes in a ski patrol sled. Hardly the exit she has been training for. Vonn was training downhill and had just tweeted a great photo catching air on her Head skis. @lindseyvonn Catching some air today in Downhill training @gopro #headwhatsyourlimit.

The next day's ski training she crashed. Vonn was seen standing after the fall, non weight bearing and with support from coaches under both shoulders before being loaded into the patrol sled to be sent for a diagnostic MRI.


Lindsey Vonn, our great girl hope for the U.S. Ski Team, had successfully returned to the slopes a few months ago,  following extensive rehab and recovery from her dramatic knee injury (MCL, ACL, fractured tibia, etc) on February 5, 2013 at Schladming Austria. After that horrific accident, Vonn was medevac'd off the mountain, then flown home on Tiger Wood's private jet to the Sports Medicine Ortho Clinic in Vail, Colorado- her hometown.

Tom Kelly, US Ski Team spokesperson, said the ski patrol toboggan was standard procedure. 29-year-old Vonn saw her Vail doctor and a statement was issued today, Wednesday, that she partially tore her ACL and  strained a  ligament in that same right knee, in addition to shoulder contusions and mild facial abrasions.

Lindsey Vonn was expected to make a return to World Cup ski racing next week at Beaver Creek, with further plans to compete in Sochi Olympic Winter Games in February 2014, defending her Downhill Gold Medal. Now that is all a big question mark.

Sunday night Lindsey Vonn was spotted with boyfriend Tiger Woods at the Chiefs-Broncos game. Last week Woods and Vonn were seen skiing at Breckenridge Colorado.

Stay tuned for word on what Lindsey's ski future is... and her dating status...we still contend she should dump Tiger the cheater, and focus on not dumping on the slopes.. ouch!

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Thank you for being ski friends...

"The fact that you are back skiing so soon speaks to the passion that you have for the sport and for your ski writing," said my editor friend Susan Grisanti from Maine Magazine. Fellow ski writer Amy Patenaude (of the Pats Peak family) said, "Heather, I believe you have never taken for granted how much you love to ski and that you didn't need an injury to remind you how much you love to fly downhill! You are strong and fast and fun, and we all want you back on the slopes!"

Comments like that make me grateful for what I do, and for the people who share my passion. I am also thankful that my tibia fracture did not sideline me for the entire ski season - just 5 painful weeks. The physical discomfort was nothing compared to the emotional frustration and fear of losing what I love. Writing about skiing from my desk looking out at the continually accumulating snow was anguish. But I had friends sending me texts and messages that they were skiing my favorite runs for me, keeping me in the alpine loop  in my absence. I appreciate that more than I can express.

This weekend at Sunday River, being able to ski wall to wall corduroy, cranking arcs on a white welcome mat of soft snow with friends was amazing. We skied 45 runs and logged 54,000' of vertical in two days - which is way more fun that rehabbing on a stationary bike!  Shout out to to Sunday River's groomers for the seamless carpet from Jordan Bowl to White Heat.

I thank all of you, friends and followers for your kind words of encouragement, for reading my blogs, even when I was fractured and freaking out, broken and blue, and for the big smiles when you saw me back on the slopes.

And finally to my husband, my forever ski date and photographer, thank you for shoveling all that powder snow that fell in February and for not pointing out the obvious - that I jammed up our winter plans with my injury. But the rest, and the best, is still to come this ski season. Stay tuned.

See you on the slopes!