Aussie golden girl’s ‘surreal’ return from lengthy post-surgery layoff
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Aussie Olympic hero Jess Fox admits she feared her paddling career might be over when she underwent surgery to remove a tumour just nine months ago.
But the three-time Olympic gold medallist surprised even herself when she returned from the lengthy layoff to claim a podium finish at the World Cup event in Prague over the weekend.
Jess Fox (right) speaks with her sister Noemie during the world championships last year. Getty
The 31-year-old from Sydney’s west finished second in the K1 final, missing top spot by only 0.13 of a second
It was a triumphant return to the water for Australia’s golden girl who was forced to sit out her home world championships in Penrith last year following surgery.
“It was surreal to be back,” she told Nine’s Today on Tuesday.
“Coming into this competition I was really nervous, but really excited.
“Nine months ago I was in hospital getting a tumour removed from my kidney and didn’t know whether I’d get back on the water. I had to miss a home world champs.
“It’s been a long road, and sitting on that start line over the weekend I got all those race nerves again.
“I was feeling the energy from the crowd, I was feeling that flow state that athletes always look for, and for me it was about doing good runs.
“So to actually make the final and then put down a silver medal performance I was so happy, just to be out there again.”
Fox has already competed at four Olympic Games and Australia hopes to see her lead the charge again at Los Angeles in 2028.
But she admits there was doubt as to whether she would even make it back into a kayak.
“The day before my surgery I remember giving myself a little pep talk before my last (paddling) session, telling myself, ‘you might be the fittest you’ve ever been right now, you might be strong and ready to race, but we don’t know what the next nine months will look like so just get out there and enjoy your last session’,” she said.
“I said to myself the body remembers, the mind remembers, and I was really holding onto that, because it took me so long to get back in the gym again and get that last pull-up, just body weight, whereas in the past I was doing it with 40kg around my waist.
“So it was about being patient, building back up slowly and celebrating those little wins.
“I think I was forced to enjoy being a beginner again, and being back on tour I’ve felt like a beginner again as well because I turned up in Prague and (had) forgot my paddle in Slovenia... so I’m out of practice.
“But we are back, we will be fine.”
The canoe World Cup tour continues in Germany next week.
