On Lindsey Vonn: a world-renowned skier’s indomitable drive
Lindsey Vonn has been dashing into the spotlight on her skis from a young age. She was only seven years old when she began racing. (https://www.biography.com/athletes/lindsey-vonn) At 26, in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, she secured her first Olympic gold medal. This was not the end of her immense success.
Lindsey Vonn is “known as one of the world’s most successful female ski racers,” according to the official Team USA website, and is “the only American woman to capture downhill gold at the Olympics, has 82 World Cup victories, 138 World Cup podiums, seven World Championship medals, and 20 World Cup titles (including four Overall World Cup Crystal Globes).”
Everything went wrong for Vonn on Feb. 8 at the Milano Cortina Olympics. When she took to the slope to compete in Downhill Skiing, she never knew she would be lifted off on a helicopter.
Vonn had come out of retirement—despite the titanium in her knee and torn ACL—to compete in the Olympics at age 41. She was gliding down the hill, until she realized she was inches off and went tumbling down the steep slope. Vonn sustained a tibia fracture and has undergone multiple surgeries since the crash.
Though Vonn crashed on the slopes, her abandonment of retirement and participation in the Olympics at her age holds great weight. She came into the Olympics wanting to make an impact, and she accomplished her goal.
Vonn’s crash can be seen as a triumph rather than a failure. She was able to inspire others that we can still participate in our passions, regardless of age. She took to Instagram to share her perspective on the crash, as NBC News reported.
“And similar to ski racing, we take risks in life. We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall. Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is also the beauty of life; we can try. I tried. I dreamt. I jumped. I hope if you take away anything from my journey it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying.”
Vonn’s dedication to exploring what she could achieve in her career, even after injuries, is nothing short of an encomium to her calling.
Vonn was injured in a terrifying and horrible way while pursuing her dream. Many say she was too old or that she should have stayed in retirement. In engaging with something she loved, regardless of the risk, she gave inspiration to all who haven’t yet given up their craft.
We should not allow our age to hold us back from participating in our lifelong passions. I have been witness to those forced to abandon lifelong passions. The result is a shell of a person who was very much in love with his beloved pursuit and life. Lindsey Vonn did not accept this hollowing fate.
I earnestly urge those with perfervid dedication to sport, art or activity to not let it go so easily, because in losing the love of your life in the form of your chosen craft or outlet, you undeniably lose part of yourself.