Seven weeks after a health incident disrupted her competitive career, Australian HYROX elite fitness race champion Joanna Wietrzyk is preparing to return to competition. The 24-year-old athlete confirmed on Thursday that she will participate in an event in Hamburg, Germany, this weekend.

Wietrzyk’s return follows a widely publicized incident during the HYROX Pro event in Beijing, where she experienced bowel incontinence triggered by severe physical distress but continued competing. The episode attracted significant global attention and criticism, with many questioning the event officials’ response. HYROX issued an apology for failing to promptly remove Wietrzyk from the competition and pledged to implement measures to prevent such incidents in future events.

In the aftermath, Wietrzyk also publicly apologized and voluntarily forfeited the points she earned for finishing first in the women’s HYROX Pro race in Beijing. Speaking in a video posted to Instagram, Wietrzyk reflected on the episode and expressed remorse for its impact on spectators and fellow competitors.

“Having that time to reflect, I’ve really learned a lot from the situation,” she said, adding that the support she received during her recovery had been overwhelming. “It’s been a very hard situation to navigate for me and very confronting as well,” she said, thanking those who reached out to her personally and through her team.

Despite the challenges, Wietrzyk ended the video expressing enthusiasm about resuming her athletic pursuits. “I’m super excited to go back to doing what I love and hopefully see you all out there,” she said with a smile.

The upcoming event in Hamburg will mark Wietrzyk’s first competition since the Beijing incident, as she seeks to move forward from the controversy and return to peak performance.