Lindsey Vonn fans praise the 'ski goddess' for her inspirational 2025 outlook

The Olympian motivated her followers with a powerful message.

Lindsey Vonn of the United States reacts in the finish area after competing as a forerunner in the women's super G race for the 2024 Stifel Birds of Prey Audi FIS alpine skiing World Cup at Birds of Prey. / Michael Madrid-Imagn Images

Lindsey Vonn is ready to take 2025 by storm.

The world champion skier, 40, underwent knee replacement surgery in the fall of 2023 and has been working tirelessly to get back into shape ever since. On Wednesday, January 8, Vonn took to Instagram to share an inspirational message about feeling "rested and ready for whatever lies ahead" in the new year. 

"You've been through a thousand things in your life people don't even know about," Vonn began. "So the next time someone judges you based on a small part of what they see and how they interpret that, remember who you are, remember how much you've overcome, and smile and keep walking because you don't have a single thing to prove to anyone."

Vonn then expressed how her recovery journey demonstrated the strength and confidence she has in herself. 

"You've already proven so much to yourself when you muddled through some storms that people didn't even see because you carried yourself," she concluded. 

The support Vonn received in the comments section from her 2.4 million Instagram followers was just as inspirational.

"You're so inspiring, thank you," wrote one person.

"Ski Goddess" wrote a second person.

A third person called Vonn a "Fking legend."

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After initially retiring from competitive skiing in 2019, Vonn is gearing up to make her triumphant return to the sport later this year. In a December 2024 interview with the Associated Press, she admitted that she was excited about resuming her already prestigious career. 

“I have the butterflies of excitement — and that’s fun. I love that feeling,” Vonn said [ after trying out the course before the race. “I like being in the start. I love the countdown. I [freaking] get amped up. I like having to execute when you have to and everything’s on the line.”

Vonn had the 2023 surgery, known as "Mako Robot-assisted lateral unicompartmental knee replacement" to address severe pain and damage caused by her skiing career. During the procedure, a portion of her bone was removed and replaced with titanium. 

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