Olympic champion Jess Fox was forced to pull out of the Canoe Slalom World Cup in Europe last year after undergoing surgery to remove a tumour from her kidney.

She shared the news at the time with a statement on Instagram, explaining that despite the challenging circumstances, the surgery was a success and she was on the mend.

"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," Fox captioned an Instagram post at the time with photos post-surgery.

"I'm feeling positive, super grateful and happy to be home. Looking forward to taking it easy over the next few weeks as I recover and building towards being back on the water again."

What she didn't share at the time was that, following the surgery, she ended up in the Intensive Care Unit.

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In an update this week, Fox shared that her hospital experience included five days in ICU with a collapsed lung.

Fox shared footage from the time, which shows her hooked up to several medical devices in her hospital bed.

In her recent post, Fox documented the period of recovery and training she went through post-surgery.

"It has been a difficult time for Jess, her family and for her support crew," Australian Olympic Committee President Ian Chesterman said at the time.

"But the one thing we know is that Jess is an incredibly resilient person and she has faced this latest challenge with her renowned determination and fight, just as you'd expect."

After building her strength back, Fox shared that she got back on the whitewater with a canoe just six months ago.

"Back into routine, back into training and felt like myself again," she wrote about that time.

Now, Fox is back in Europe competing in events at the Europe World Cup — he same World Cup she was forced to pull out of last year.

Over the weekend, Fox claimed silver at the World Cup event in Prague, a result that she said "feels like gold".

"Reflecting on the last 9 months, I'm feeling pretty proud," Fox shared in her post, adding that "it's been a lot".

"It hasn't been the perfect preparation. But it's been real and it's been about showing up with what I've got.

"Thank you to everyone who helped and supported me — mentally, physically, emotionally."

Fox added that she is "so happy to be back in Europe and excited or the season."

"It's still a work in progress, managing some niggles but continuing to build towards the World Champs and taking it step by step. I'm looking forward to feeling it again."

Fox cemented her status as Australia's most successful individual Olympian at the Paris 2024 Games after winning gold medals in both the K1 kayak and C1 canoe slalom events.

This article was first published in 2025, written by Charlotte Begg, and has since been updated.

Feature image: Instagram/@jessfoxcanoe