Lindsey Vonn Says Tom Brady, David Beckham, More Wrote Her Letters After Gruesome Olympic Leg Injury

Multiple sports luminaries reached out to Lindsey Vonn following her serious crash in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The Team USA star told Vanity Fair's Elise Taylor she received letters from NFL legend Tom Brady, former Manchester United and Real Madrid star David Beckham, and four-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner. Prince William even sent a message.

For Vonn, words from television broadcaster Diane Sawyer affected her the most.

"You can't have courage and comfort at the same time," Sawyer said in her correspondence.

Vonn came out of retirement in order to compete in the 2026 Olympics. Along the way, the 41-year-old became the oldest winner of a World Cup downhill race.

Her quest for a fourth medal in the Winter Games took a brutal turn when she crashed in her first run in the women's downhill. Her pole got caught a gate and threw her off-balance.

"I was No. 1 in the world, and potentially on my way to an Olympic medal," she said to Taylor. "Now I'm in a wheelchair."

The damage to Vonn's left leg was so significant she has undergone five separate surgeries. She explained last month she experienced compartment syndrome, which required quick attention or she would've been at risk of losing part of her leg altogether.

Tom Hackett, Vonn's usual orthopedic surgeon, went into further detail with Taylor.

"I'm sure you've seen hot dogs or brats on a grill. They get more and more swollen. Then all of a sudden, they burst. They crack," he said. "That's basically what happens with compartment syndrome. There was a very significant chance that she was going to lose all function of her leg, if not the leg itself. Best-case scenario in those situations is, you might keep your leg, but it's going to be useless."

Asked about her future on the slopes, Vonn said that "I don't like to close the door on anything."

It's tough to envision the 2010 gold medalist competing again. She was already weighing her second retirement prior to the Olympics.

Given her ordeal, simply being able to live a normal life again would be a win on its own.