Jess Fox was ‘shredded’ and taking on the world. Then came a shock diagnosis

Jess Fox stood in front of a mirror and smiled for a selfie, feeling strong, fit and ready to take on the world.

It was 2025 and the Olympic champion’s calendar was jam-packed with meetings, media duties and competitions dates – including the ICF canoe slalom World Cup in Europe and the world championships in Penrith, NSW.

“I remember taking this selfie video in the mirror in my crop top, about to go to the gym, and I’m like, ‘Wow, I’m shredded’,” she told this masthead.

“Now, I’m about to get cut open and start from scratch again.”

In August last year, the 31-year-old canoeing superstar announced that she had undergone surgery to remove a benign tumour from her left kidney and had to withdraw from the final events of the canoe slalom World Cup.

“It’s been a whirlwind over the last few weeks, but I’m all good – just a couple of gnarly new scars, a bit less kidney, and a whole lot more toughness,” she posted on Instagram.

The news was greeted with a wave of support on social media from other Australian athletes and artists, including tennis champion and 2022 Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, Matildas goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus, and actor Lincoln Lewis.

For Fox, the diagnosis and subsequent surgery “happened so suddenly” that she barely had time to breathe. After surgery, she returned home and the lengthy reality of recovery quickly become real.

“Just to walk 10 minutes felt like the biggest effort in the world to begin with, and then realising I just got to have the patience to keep building and to trust the process and do the best that I can with what I’ve got,” she says.

“It definitely gave me a greater appreciation for what I was able to do before. I don’t know whether I’ll ever get back to that level of physical strength or fitness.

“But this has shown me and given me so much appreciation for what your body can do and the people who have helped me and supported me to get back here.”

With her trademark beaming smile and bouncy curls, Fox is associated by many Australians with an extraordinary performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics in which she claimed two gold medals and cemented her place as one of the greatest athletes in canoe slalom history.

A joyful photograph of Fox embracing her sister Noemie, after Noemie won gold in the kayak cross, was one of the most memorable images of the Games.

For Fox, resilience is an important quality, and one that she learnt from her parents and continually worked to build throughout her sporting career. She enjoys reading self-help books and athletes’ autobiographies, exploring different tactics with sport psychologists and adding skills to her mental toolkit.

“Every experience I’ve had, every challenge and setback has taught me something, has added to my toolkit … and helped me be more resilient,” she says.

During her recovery, Fox wanted to prioritise “doing things that were good for my soul”, spending time with family, friends and her beloved greyhound.

She devoted a lot of time to journaling and staying mentally positive, reminding herself that “life is good and special in so many other ways, even if I can’t do my sport”.

“Yes, I had to miss out on a home world championship, and all these things that are devastating, but actually, in the grand scheme of life, they’re not that important,” she says.

“Family, friends, health, you know, I really took the time to prioritise that, and it was a big wake-up call and reminder for me to cherish those moments.”

Fox documented parts of her recovery on social media, starting with slow movement and working on her mobility. The next steps involved pushing up on her knees before eventually adding light weights.

Getting back on the water was hard. Really hard.

“When I got back in the boat and got back on the water, there was a lot of joy in that moment, but there was also a realisation of ‘Oh my god, I feel so bad, I feel so unco-ordinated’,” she says, laughing.

“I’ve lost the feel of the water, so I just had to be kind to myself, lower the expectations and, you know, remind myself [that] good things take time.”

Fast forward nine months and Fox was making her return to the canoe slalom World Cup stage in Slovenia, competing in the women’s K1 final.

Managing an ongoing wrist injury, she navigated a tumultuous course and secured second place, finishing only 0.13 seconds behind gold medal winner Eva Alina.

With droplets of water still in her hair, Fox stood on the podium, holding a bouquet of bright yellow sunflowers, a silver medal catching the light around her neck.

For Fox – whose extraordinary résumé includes six Olympic medals and world championship titles – silver had never felt more special.

“I had never had that much time out from competition, and I didn’t know what to expect in terms of where I’d be physically, mentally, emotionally,” she said.

“Just getting to the start line, it was a reminder that just getting here was the achievement.”

Two weeks later, the canoeing great won two World Cup gold medals in Prague, completing a K1-C1 double on the demanding Troja course and overcoming penalty touches.

“Winning two gold medals there was, like, unreal. This has been the best start to the season that I could have imagined … and wonderful to be back in the community and sport I love,” she says.

“It was a huge boost of confidence for me. I might not have had the perfect preparation, but I know that I’ve got so much experience behind me that I can also lean on that, and that counts for something.”

Fox’s next competition will be the 2026 ICF canoe slalom world championships in Oklahoma from July 20 to 25.

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