Lindsey Vonn, Injured Olympic Skier, Walks the Runway With Help of Crutches

Injured Olympian Lindsey Vonn wasn't in Sochi on Thursday. Instead, she was making her way down the runway at the Heart Truth Red Dress Collection in New York City.

Dressed in what else but a red dress, Vonn took part of the event that promotes women's heart disease prevention – the No. 1 killer of women in America. Before the show, she told Today.com, "I'm excited and nervous - this is not my spiel. I'll be interesting to see how fast I get down there. I'm a skier; I don't normally walk the catwalk ... especially in crutches."

The very fitting "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" by Kelly Clarkson played as she walked.

Vonn's form fitting Cynthia Rowley dress had sheer paneling, in the form of horizontal stripes, which the skier had a hand in designing.

"I love wearing her clothes," she said. "We designed this dress together. It's a little bit difficult to find something that looks good with flats and a knee that has a huge scar down it, so I think she did a good job."

If she felt self-conscious at the event, you wouldn't know it.

At the end of the catwalk, she hoisted her crutches above her head in a triumphant celebration.

The skier was also able to walk the show's red carpet without her crutches.

Last year, she was focused on attending the Olympics, even speaking about having boyfriend Tiger Woods by her side. She injured her reconstructed knee, and in January said she would not attend the Sochi Olympics. She'll take a turn as an Olympic correspondent for TODAY and NBC Sports instead.

Vonn joined other celebrities, such as Giada De Laurentiis, who wore Carolina Herrera, Joan Jett and Nene Leakes.