Lindsey Vonn has a royal fan.
Following her catastrophic crash just seconds into her downhill run at the Milan Cortina Olympic Games in February, Prince William reached out to the Alpine skier to offer his support and well wishes.
Vonn suffered a severe crash during her run when her right ski pole snagged a gate, throwing her off balance. She sustained a complex tibia fracture along with a broken ankle and fractured fibular head and tibial plateau.
She described her injuries as an “extreme pain” that “seared into my brain,” Vonn revealed in a cover story with Vanity Fair in March.
When Vonn returned to Park City about a month after her crash and recovery in Cortina, she was welcomed home with letters, phone calls and messages from athletes, world leaders and others offering support — including a letter from Prince William.
“The way you wrote about stepping into the starting gate with courage and no regrets says so much about your resilience,” William wrote in his letter to Vonn.
“As you have often said, in downhill skiing, there are just a few inches that can determine the difference between a clean run and a serious crash,” the letter continued. “The way you wrote about stepping into the start gate with courage and no regrets says so much about your resilience, and is one of the many reasons why you have been an inspiration to so many people throughout your illustrious career.”
“I hope your recovery is as smooth and quick as possible in the months ahead,” he concluded.
Below the message, handwritten in blue ink, William signed the letter giving his “very best wishes.”
The three-time Olympic medalist said it “means a lot” that William is watching her compete and took the time to reach out. In response, Vonn said she offered to ski with the prince and his family once she has fully recovered.
Vonn also received messages and phone calls from Tom Brady, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Gretzky, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jannik Sinner.
“Pretty much every athlete I’ve met along the way messaged me,” Vonn said in a video with Vanity Fair.
One of the most meaningful notes, Vonn said, was from broadcast journalist Diane Sawyer, who told the skier: “You can’t have courage and comfort at the same time,” she told the outlet.
After receiving five surgeries, which included rebuilding her knee, Vonn is focused on recovering, as reported by the Deseret News.
“I definitely lean into these messages to get through a tough days,” Vonn said.
In her cover story with Vanity Fair, Vonn spoke with media for the first time about her crash and how the injury nearly led to the loss of her leg. She also touched on her life in the future, including a potential comeback.
“I don’t like to close the door on anything, because you just never know what’s going to happen,” Vonn said. “I have no idea what my life will be like in two years or three years or four years. I could have two kids by then. I could have no kids and want to race again. I could live in Europe. I could be doing anything.”
She add, “I mean, it’s not a question of can I. I already have, you know? And I already retired for six years. Like, I know what it’s like to not be a ski racer anymore. It’s just that ski racing is something I love to do. And I had so much fun this season that — and I never got to — I never got a final run.”