Jessica Fox Shares Recovery Journey After Kidney Tumor Surgery—And It’s Not All Paddles and Positivity

By Avery Sinclair – Because nothing says “inspirational athlete story” like a surprise trip to the operating table mid-training season.

Oh, this should be *good*. Another elite athlete forced to slow down by the cruel whims of biology. Jessica Fox, the three-time Olympic gold medalist in canoe slalom, recently revealed she underwent surgery to remove a kidney tumor—just weeks before the 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup Final. And if you were expecting a dramatic deathbed confession or a tear-streaked press conference, sorry to disappoint: Fox is keeping it weirdly upbeat.

In a post dated August 27 on Instagram, the 31-year-old Olympian casually dropped the medical bomb while lying in a hospital bed, captioning the image with a tone so nonchalant it could double as a vacation update. “Life update,” she wrote. “I won’t be competing in the final World Cups over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be cheering from home instead! Last week, I had surgery to remove a tumor from my kidney.”

Let’s pause for a second here—because yes, you read that right. A tumor. In her *kidney*. While training for a major international competition. And she’s calling this a minor setback? Bold.

According to her post, the surgery went well, and she’s “on the mend.” She’s also “super grateful” to the medical staff and her friends and family. And while she’s not shy about calling the past few weeks a “whirlwind,” she’s managing to stay positive. Her words, not mine: “a couple of gnarly new scars, a bit less kidney, and a whole lot more toughness.”

If that doesn’t scream “Olympic champion energy,” I don’t know what does.

Shortly after her announcement, Fox shared a glimpse of her post-op life on Instagram Stories. One photo showed her relaxing in her backyard, soaking up the sun. Another featured a therapy dog who looked less than thrilled to be sharing a couch. So yes, she’s living the dream—just not the one she signed up for.

Before the surgery, though, Fox had a standout performance at the World Cup in Pau, France, where she took home gold in June. She called it a “great run” and expressed pride in how she executed her final race. “It’s so satisfying when you can lift in the final, deliver a better run than in the heats, and put pressure on everyone else,” she said in an interview with the International Canoe Federation.

So while she may be out of the World Cup finals this year, don’t count her out for long. Fox is already plotting her comeback: “Looking forward to taking it easy over the next few weeks as I recover, and building towards being back on the water again.”

And while Fox’s medical scare might seem like a rare outlier, she’s far from the only celebrity to face unexpected health issues this year. Take *Total Bellas* alum Nikki Garcia, who suffered a breast implant shift after an elbow slam during a WWE match. She played it off with humor, joking about fixing the implant “when the boots are hung up.”

Then there’s Lupita Nyong’o, who revealed in 2025 that she’d been dealing with uterine fibroids for over a decade. The *12 Years a Slave* star opened up about the pain and silence surrounding the condition, writing on Instagram that women are often taught to accept pain as normal.

Suki Waterhouse, meanwhile, blamed her July 2025 hernia hospitalization on “pants so tight” they caused the issue. She shared the news on X with a self-deprecating joke: “Have you ever considered I wore pants so tight six months ago it caused a hernia & I’ve been too scared to tell you?”

And let’s not forget Brian Austin Green, who dealt with a perforated appendix earlier this year. The *Beverly Hills, 90210* alum’s health scare was a reminder that even the most seemingly invincible stars are still human.

So, what’s the takeaway here? That even the strongest, most disciplined athletes and celebrities are still at the mercy of their own bodies. And sometimes, the most inspiring stories aren’t about podium finishes or red carpet moments—but about how they handle the unexpected detours.

Jessica Fox’s journey is a reminder that resilience isn’t just about winning races. It’s about facing down a kidney tumor and still managing to crack a joke about fewer organs and more scars.

Now, let’s see if the rest of the world can keep up.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online
International Canoe Federation
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X (formerly Twitter)
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