Lindsey Vonn Accepts Commencement Speaker Role at USC

Lindsey Vonn suffered a brutal injury early in her first downhill ski run at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, suffering a shattered tibia and broken ankle that required multiple surgeries to repair.

Vonn is still recovering from her injuries, but that didn't stop her from accepting a recent invitation from the University of Southern California.

Vonn will serve as the 2026 commencement speaker for the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism's graduating class on May 15.

Vonn announced the news in a joint post with the school on Instagram.

"She built her legacy on courage — on and off the slopes," the school wrote. "Olympic champion @lindseyvonn — athlete, best-selling author, philanthropist and investor — will deliver the 2026 #ASCJ commencement address.

"A master of shaping her own narrative, she’ll send off the #ASCJ Class of 2026 with a message on authenticity, leadership and what comes next. Link in bio for full announcement."

USC Annenberg Dean Willow Bay issued a statement regarding Vonn's commencement speech on the school's official website.

“A champion athlete and a pioneer in how athletes communicate and shape their own stories, Lindsey embodies the values that define USC Annenberg,” Bay said. “Her fearless pursuit of excellence — and her ability to give voice to the human experience behind competition — offers our Class of 2026 a powerful model of courage, authenticity and modern leadership.”

Vonn is still on crutches as she continues to recover from the injuries she sustained in her Olympic crash, according to a recent exclusive interview with People.

The three-time Olympic medalist said her mental and physical health have been "up and down" over the past few weeks, and she's ready to get back to living life.

"It's definitely been up and down," she said, via People. "I'd say in the last month, it's definitely gotten better, but of course there were really low moments. I hate being dependent on people, and was pretty much 100% dependent for everything.

"It was quite a challenge, just being in the hospital alone for two and a half weeks. Being completely immobile for that extended time period was so rough."