Canadian swimming star Penny Oleksiak has knee surgery, says she faces long recovery

Penny Oleksiak, a seven-time Canadian Olympic medallist in the pool, says she has a long recovery process ahead of her following surgery to repair torn cartilage in her knee.

Injury delays planned climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money to combat world hunger

A swimmer looks up after finishing a race at one end of the pool.
Toronto swimmer Penny Oleksiak faces a long recovery following surgery to repair torn cartilage in her knee. Earlier this year, the seven-time Olympic medallist won two silver and two bronze at the world aquatics championships. (Antonio Bronic/Reuters/File)

Decorated swimmer Penny Oleksiak says she has a long recovery process ahead of her after undergoing surgery to repair torn cartilage in her knee.

The seven-time Olympic medallist from Toronto says in a post to her Instagram account she recently sustained a meniscus tear. The meniscus is a rubbery piece of cartilage in the knee between the thigh bone and shin bone.

She says she underwent successful surgery at Women's College Hospital in Toronto and is optimistic about her recovery.

Oleksiak won two silver and two bronze at the world swimming championships earlier this year in Hungary, giving her nine career world championship medals overall (two silver, seven bronze).

WATCH | What makes Oleksiak so fast in the pool?:

How does Penny Oleksiak swim so fast?

2 years ago
Duration 4:07
Olympic swimmer turned CBC Sports analyst Brittany MacLean breaks down what makes Penny Oleksiak one of the fastest and most successful swimmers Canada's ever seen.

She became the most decorated Canadian Olympian of all time at the Tokyo Games last year when she won three medals, increasing her career total to seven (one gold, two silver four bronze).

Oleksiak had planned to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania next month to raise money to combat world hunger before sustaining the injury.

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