Jessica Fox Misses World Cup After Kidney Surgery

Australian canoist Jessica Fox announced she will not participate in the upcoming World Cup event in Europe, following her recent surgery to remove a kidney tumor.

In a post on Instagram, the three-time Olympic champion indicated she has “a new scar” and shared that “after a successful surgery, I have a little less kidney.”

Fox, who is 31, wrote about her experience: “Life Update.” She included photos from her hospital stay, explaining that the surgery was successful and she is now in recovery.

She expressed gratitude towards her medical team for their care, as well as support from her Australian teammates. “And of course, my amazing family and friends have been everything,” she noted. It’s been quite a turbulent few weeks, but I’m alright—just sporting a few fresh scars, a bit of a kidney deficit, and a lot more resilience.

Feeling positive and grateful, she mentioned she is happy to be back home. As she continues her recovery, she looks forward to taking things easy for a while and eventually getting back on the water.

In another part of her post, Fox shared that she’s been resting and enjoying some sunshine.

With six Olympic medals, including one silver and two bronze from the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, Fox stands out as one of the sport’s most notable individual paddlers. She is also an Olympic champion in both Women’s C1 (canoe) and Women’s K1 (kayak).

Notably, both her parents, Richard Fox and Miriam Fox Gersalmi, are former Olympians in canoeing. Richard competed for the UK in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, while Miriam earned a bronze medal in the 1996 Atlanta Games.