Lindsey Vonn's Boyfriend Surprised Her with GOAT Cake & Stuffed Animal After Final Race in Sweden
Lindsey Vonn will go down as one of the greatest Olympic skiers of all time — and now she has the cake and stuffed animal to prove it!
Vonn, who wrapped up her competitive career over the weekend at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, returned home from Sweden on Tuesday to find a legendary surprise waiting for her.
As she walked into her home following an 18-hour flight, her boyfriend, P.K. Subban, had covered the kitchen in decorations to celebrate her retirement, including balloons, a table spread, and a giant bouquet of flowers. But it was her special cake that stole the spotlight.
Sitting front and center on the decorative table was a giant white goat cake, symbolic of the term “GOAT,” which stands for “greatest of all time” and is often used to describe champion athletes.
The animal wore a green USA beanie hat and had a medal wrapped around its neck, while pink skiing poles and white skis laid by its side. “That’s epic,” Vonn, 34, said as she leaned in and gently touched the animal’s nose.
“Of course it is, you know how we do!” Subban, 29, proudly responded back in the video.
RELATED: Lindsey Vonn Announces She’s Retiring This Month: ‘My Body Is Broken Beyond Repair’
A post shared by P.K. Subban (@subbanator) on Feb 12, 2019 at 9:59am PST
But that wasn’t all her boyfriend of nearly a year had planned. Vonn then made her way to the bedroom, where another stuffed animal goat was standing on her bed with a silver bow around its neck.
“Is that another goat?” the Nashville Predators defenseman jokingly asked, while Vonn laughed at the silly surprise.
Vonn and Subban have been dating since April 2018. The pair first stepped out together in early June at the 2018 CMT Music Awards in Nashville, where they packed on the PDA while posing for photos ahead of the show.
A source told PEOPLE exclusively of the pair at the time, “They’re in that beginning stage of a relationship where you can’t get enough of each other.”
In July, Vonn told reporters that the couple was “enjoying every moment” of their relationship with no plans for immediate marriage, but noted of her supportive beau, “He’s very energetic. He’s always positive, always smiling… He makes me better.”
RELATED: ‘One Last Medal’: Lindsey Vonn Thanks Fans for ‘Support’ After Final Race
Subban’s sweet surprise comes just two days after Vonn earned a bronze medal in the women’s downhill, which served as the final race of her illustrious skiing career.
Her victory, however, was preceded by a serious accident in which Vonn lost control in mid-air and crashed into a gate while competing in the Super-G race last Tuesday.
“I feel like I’ve been hit by an 18-wheeler, but other than that I’m great,” she told the Associated Press after the collision. “My knees are the same as they were before the race. I think my neck’s going to be sore. I got the wind knocked out of me, my ribs are oddly sore. It’ll be fine. Sunday will be great.”
A post shared by L I N D S E Y • V O N N (@lindseyvonn) on Feb 6, 2019 at 5:06am PST
She eventually shared two photos from the crash on her Instagram, including the badly-bruised behind of Laurenne Ross, as well as her brusied eye. “Can’t wait to see what color they turn tomorrow! #youshouldseetheotherguy” she joked.
Vonn also gave a proper thank you to her fans and friends for “the years of support” in a separate Instagram post.
“I DID IT!!!! One last medal in my final race … I couldn’t have asked for anything more!” she wrote. “Thanks everyone for the years of support, it means the world to me! I’ll post more soon but first it’s time to go home!”
RELATED VIDEO: Lindsey Vonn Sobs as She Wins Bronze in Last Olympic Downhill Appearance: ‘It’s Been a Fun Ride’
Vonn has long been plagued by knee problems, which forced her to bump up her retirement plans last year.
The three-time Olympic medalist said in October she was aiming to retire after the 2018-2019 season, and had hopes that she’d break the record for most World Cup wins. Vonn remains behind record-holder Ingemar Stenmark, but is still the leader among women.
As for what’s next, Vonn pondered her post-skiing future to PEOPLE last year, saying she’s looking forward to the public’s realization that she’s more than just an athlete.
“I would just like to be remembered as something more than just a ski racer,” Vonn said. “I’ve tried to be a good role model and I have my foundation and I’ve tried to give back as much as I can, and ski racing is what I’ve done but it’s not who I am, and I think I’m just kind of realizing that now, so hopefully people can see that as well.”
