Ava Gravina ’28 is a psychology and English major at William and Mary. She swims with Club Swim and writes for the school’s pop culture magazine, The DoG Street Journal. She is from outside Boston and enjoys spending time with friends, baking, reading psychological thrillers and watching rom-coms. You can contact her at acgravina@wm.edu.
The views expressed in the article are the author’s own.
At the College of William and Mary, persistence and perfectionism are often embedded within our twamp culture. The connection between this striving for perfection and the injury-filled comeback story of Lindsey Vonn may not seem obvious at first. Yet Vonn’s return to the slopes feels less like a distant Olympic tale and more like a familiar mindset for students here. For those unfamiliar with Vonn, she is widely considered one of the greatest alpine skiers in history, with 84 World Cup victories and three Olympic medals. If that doesn’t impress you, I don’t know what does. But her latest comeback raises a key concern: at what point does determination become a refusal to let go?
After reportedly retiring in 2019, Vonn surprised many fans by making a return to the slopes. Yet her comeback clearly did not go her way. Just days before the Olympics, at the World Cup downhill race in Switzerland, Vonn completely tore her ACL, an injury that would have made most rational people step away from the Olympics. Yet many students here share the same impulse that drove Vonn forward, continuing to push themselves to their breaking points when success feels just within reach. She was determined not to give up; she wouldn’t, and she was intent on proving that she could still compete at the highest level. And I can’t blame her for not being ready to step away. I know the feeling of needing to finish what you started.
There is no doubt that Vonn is fearless, resilient and driven — qualities many students here recognize in themselves. From the age of 3, she has been skiing. It is all she’s ever known. And she was the first American woman to win gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics. When she made her big 2026 return, it’s remarkable that she raced just 9 days after fully tearing her ACL, despite the obvious risks. Most people would be struggling to walk with an unstable knee, but she’s an elite athlete accustomed to pushing her physical limits and she claimed that she felt ready to return. While she was given the go-ahead, she was told to race at her own risk, and she ultimately chose to, although it may not have been the wisest decision.
At 41 years old, she lined up Sunday, Feb. 8, to race at the Milano Cortina Olympic Games. For a moment, she looked strong, carving confidently through the course. Then, just 13 seconds into her run, disaster struck. Her right arm got tangled up with a pole, sending her into a tumultuous crash that left her splayed out on the race course in extreme pain. Her long-awaited comeback ended not in triumph, but in another devastating injury.
Vonn’s legacy was never in question. As a skier myself, I am amazed at how fearless she is racing, yet this failed comeback shows just how important it is to recognize when perseverance does more harm than good. Yet Tom Brady, a beloved football quarterback, received far less criticism than Lindsey Vonn, even though he, too, chose to keep playing well beyond what many expected, motivated by the same passion for his sport.
While Vonn will always be known for her skiing accomplishments, will fans mainly remember her for her tragic crash at the 2026 Olympic Games? Meanwhile, the spotlight remains fixed on her fall rather than on her teammate, Breezy Johnson, who won the gold medal in the women’s downhill. Clearly, Vonn was unable to step aside, resulting in her tragic downfall and leaving no space for the next generation to shine. Perhaps winning is not the hardest part. For athletes and students alike recognizing when it is time to step away is.
