Skiing legend Lindsey Vonn shared the tragic news of her dog, Lucy, passing away on Sunday night.
Earlier this week, Vonn announced that Lucy, her 9-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, who has been her faithful travel companion, is suffering from kidney failure. The 40-year-old skier revealed that the outlook wasn’t optimistic as she prepared to return to her residence in Utah to spend time with Lucy.
Five days later, she shared the sad news of Lucy’s death with a lengthy Instagram post.
Accompanied by a collection of photographs featuring Lucy and their moments together, Vonn penned a heartfelt message, stating, ‘Today, my dear Lucy has passed away. She entered my life 9 years ago, and from the initial moment to the very end, she illuminated my life and the lives of those around her with immense joy and love.’
‘We journeyed around the globe, skied, hiked, biked, explored, chased waterfalls, soared in hot air balloons, and even made appearances at the Olympics,’ she reminisced. ‘We embarked on countless remarkable adventures together, forging memories that I am incredibly grateful to have experienced with her.’
‘We even had our own TV show! There was nothing Lucy couldn’t do! She was never scared, never hesitant to try something new, she was always happy, loved big and unconditionally. There will never be enough words to describe how much I love her and my heart will never ever be the same without her. There will never be another Lucy.’
Skiing legend Lindsey Vonn’s nine-year-old dog and travel companion Lucy passed away
‘I know she is with my Mom, Bear and our family up in heaven,’ Vonn continued. ‘I envision them all together, running around, happy and no longer in pain, always guiding me and watching out for me from above. At least I have to believe that or else the pain would be unbearable.’
‘Lucy, you will always be my light. Until we meet again…I love you my princess.’
‘Thank you to all of the incredible Veterinarians who helped her over the years and especially over the last days. You all did everything possible to save her and I will be forever grateful.’
‘My big boy Leo is thankfully still in remission and going strong at 12 years old. It’s back to how it all started… just me and Leo. Thankful I still have him.’
Several athletes, including WNBA star Cameron Brink and Tennis ace Coco Gauff took to the comments to express console Vonn.
‘Sending you so much love,’ Brink wrote with a heart emoji. Meanwhile, Gauff wrote ‘I am so sorry,’ with two hearts.
Vonn made history when she finished her comeback season with a second-place finish in a World Cup super-G race – but the legendary skier left Sun Valley with a heavy heart with Lucy’s condition.
‘I’ve got to go figure it out… I need all the luck I can get,’ said Vonn, who has two other dogs, Leo and Jade.
Vonn has two other dogs, Jade and Leo, who recently ‘graduated from chemo treatment’
Lucy has long been a world traveler with Vonn, the ski star who recently made her comeback
Vonn was looking forward to relaxing on the beaches of the Bahamas following an exhausting season. But Lucy’s diagnosis changed her vacation plans. The ski star previously revealed that ‘the only time I fly private is with my dogs’ and Lucy has long been a world traveler with Vonn.
Three months ago, in Copper Mountain, Colorado, Lucy lounged around in her comfy bed inside the warm lodge waiting for her owner to return from training.
Vonn brought Leo with her to Sun Valley. She announced on Instagram in November that Leo had been diagnosed with cancer. But two months later, Vonn revealed that Leo ‘graduated from chemo treatment’.
Vonn closed out her comeback season Sunday at age 40 with a runner-up performance in the super-G. She became the oldest female Alpine ski racer to earn a World Cup podium spot by nearly six years.
It was her first World Cup podium finish since March 15, 2018. A year later, she earned downhill bronze at the world championships before calling it a career in large part because of her bad knee. Vonn received a partial knee replacement nearly a year ago, which made her return to competitive ski racing a possibility.
Vonn was overcome by emotions in the finish area Sunday after a vintage trip — fast and charging — through the Sun Valley course secured a second-place spot.
She is the oldest female Alpine ski racer to earn a World Cup podium spot by nearly six years
The skiing legend announced in November that Leo (right) had been diagnosed with cancer
The tears that followed, Vonn said, were a mixture of joy, relief, pride and appreciation that she could make it back this far.
‘I just knew that sometimes when you know the only option is to perform, it brings the best out of me,’ said Vonn, who posted a heartfelt message Tuesday on Instagram dedicated her late mother. ‘I used every last ounce of energy that I had, and I tried to put everything together. It kind of felt, honestly, like the Olympics.’
More specifically, her downhill run at the 2010 Vancouver Games when she captured gold. To this day, she can’t watch it without tears.
‘This one is going to be the same thing,’ Vonn said of Sunday’s electric race. ‘Even just thinking about it, I get emotional.’
Vonn finished her season with no real aches and pains, either, especially not in her right knee that now contains titanium. Her back, though, is a little sore, ‘but that’s normal,’ Vonn said.
She’s still trying to take it all in — that she did, indeed, make it back to the podium this season.
Vonn posted a lengthy message about Lucy along with her pictures on Instagram
‘It feels great,’ Vonn said. ‘I always knew that I could do it… I think a lot of people saw on Sunday what it meant to me. That I love the sport and I appreciate the fact that there’s so many people that have supported me along this journey.’
Vonn plans to head back to Europe at some point for more equipment testing with the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics right around the corner. She didn’t have much of a prep period before announcing in November she was returning to the U.S. ski team.
‘Now I actually get to train and do (testing) in the correct way and the way it’s supposed to be done,’ Vonn said. ‘One of the biggest reasons why I love ski racing is you have to perform when the stakes are highest. I am proud of myself that I was able to do it.
‘That skill set I have has not gone away, and it gives me a lot of confidence for next year.’
