Gold medal-winning skier Lindsey Vonn, still recovering from a devastating crash during the Winter Olympics in Italy, will deliver the keynote address during the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism’s commencement ceremony.
Vonn will be introduced at the May 15 event by ABC News correspondent Sophie Flay, according to the university.
“A champion athlete and a pioneer in how athletes communicate and shape their own stories, Lindsey embodies the values that define USC Annenberg,” said Dean Willow Bay said in a statement. “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.”
One of the most decorated skiers in American history, Vonn competed in five Olympic Games, becoming the first American woman to win a downhill gold medal during the 2010 competition. She retired from competition in 2019, but returned five years later.
Her bid for a return to the Olympic podium this year in Italy was thwarted when she crashed during the downhill competition and suffered multiple fractures of her left leg. She is continuing to undergo reconstructive surgeries.
USC Annenberg officials noted that Vonn is also the author of two New York Times bestsellers, and was the subject of the HBO documentary “Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season.” She founded the Lindsey Vonn Foundation in 2015, providing scholarships and other programs to support girls from underserved communities.