Lindsey Vonn is not thinking about fashion first right now. For her, the Met Gala 2026 is about one simple goal, walking on her own again. Just under three months after a frightening crash at the Winter Olympics in Italy, the 41-year-old says she wants to take a few steps without crutches on one of the biggest nights in fashion. She shared this update during an interview with CNN, where she spoke openly about her recovery. The Olympic gold medalist went through eight surgeries after breaking her leg badly in the downhill race on February 8. At one point, doctors even feared she could lose her leg. Since then, she has been moving between a wheelchair and crutches. But now, she sees the Met Gala stairs as a turning point.
Lindsey Vonn targets first steps without crutches at Met Gala after Winter Olympics crash recovery
Lindsey Vonn made it clear that this moment means more than just showing up. It is about proving to herself that she is getting better. “There are a few stairs. Yes, it’s going to be intense,” she said in her interview with CNN. “I was like, can I do this? Can I do this? But Thom Browne asked me a long time ago.”The event, hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has a famous staircase that every guest walks up. For Vonn, that staircase has turned into a personal test. “It’s been the thing that I’m like: can I get there?” she explained. “It’s been the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m going to try to walk.” She added, “It’s supposed to be my first day of walking a little bit without crutches. So from the start to the top of the stairs, if I can make it with no crutches, that’s a huge win.”Right now, she is still going through a tough phase. Vonn said she feels like she is in “survival mode” as she works through the pain and long recovery process. “You know, I think you have to be reflective. And I haven’t really been able to be that reflective yet, because I’m still in survival mode,” she said.The injury was serious. She suffered a complex fracture in her left leg and still needs at least one more surgery to fix a torn ACL. Even for someone who has dealt with injuries before, this one feels different. Still, she is trying to stay positive. “Maybe this is going to be the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life. Maybe some door will open that would never otherwise be open to me,” she shared.At the same time, she is not closing the door on skiing. Speaking on CBS Mornings, Vonn pushed back on the idea of retirement. “My dad jumped the gun. He knows by now that if you tell me not to do something, I’m gonna do it,” she said. “I want to ski regardless of if I’m racing. I love the mountains, that’s always been my passion.”That mindset has always defined Lindsey Vonn. She has come back from injuries before, even competing with a titanium implant in her knee. But this time, the journey looks longer and harder. Even so, if she manages to climb those steps without support, it will not just be a fashion moment. It will be a sign that she is slowly getting her life back on track.
