Penny Oleksiak Undergoes Surgery for Meniscus Tear

Penny Oleksiak; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Penny Oleksiak Undergoes Surgery for Meniscus Tear

Canadian Olympic gold medalist Penny Oleksiak has undergone surgery this week for a tear in her meniscus.

Oleksiak posted the news to her social media feeds, saying that the injury, a bucket handle meniscus tear, occurred in her left knee while she was in Florida. She returned to have surgery at Women’s College in her native Toronto.

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Oleksiak wrote in part:

The recovery process is probably about to be the longest and most tentative one I’ve ever had to deal with, but I’m super excited to use this time to recover properly and get stronger in the process (and to keep y’all updated along the way)

Oleksiak, 22, is the most decorated Olympian in Canadian history, male or female, winter or summer Games. The sprinter has seven career Olympic medals, famously winning gold at age 16 in the women’s 100 freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics as well as silver in the 100 butterfly. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she won silver in the 400 free relay, bronze in the 400 medley relay and individual bronze in the 200 free.

Oleksiak added four medals at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest this summer, all in relays. She withdrew from the Commonwealth Games later in the summer.

The 6-1 powerhouse has dealt with physical ailments before, most notably a nagging back issue leading into Tokyo. She said this is her first surgical procedure.

Immediately, the knee injury shelves plans for her to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in the fall, an endeavor she was undertaking to raise money for global hunger. That had been scheduled for Sept. 11.

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