Olympic Surfing Star Suffering Brain Tumor Gives Major Health Update Ahead of 2025 Season

It’s time to get back into the competitive waters! As the World Surf League flags off in Hawaii, surfers will have so much on their plates. But there’s one Costa Rican surfer looking to avenge that fourth-place finish from last season and hopefully crank things up a notch. She’ll also be trying to push the boundaries of the sport and herself, having gone through a serious dip in her career, health-wise. But, the good news? She’s feeling healthy, energized, and ready to return to the surfing groove!

We’re talking about none other than the surfing star, Brisa Hennessy! She’s been laying low in her offseason post-September 2024 and filling her human side of the cup, self-admittedly. However, the desire to get back into the water hardly fades away right? After all, women’s surfing is at such an exciting juncture, having made its second-ever Olympic appearance in Paris last year. The 25-year-old is pining to return after some much-needed downtime with family. Well, good for her, her health approves!

On January 27, Brisa Hennessy gave fans a glimpse into her healing journey through an Instagram story. She shared a reel featuring a chat with Rachel Reinhart Taylor, a board-certified physician who’s been instrumental in helping Hennessy recover and rebuild. Hennessy’s gratitude was clear in her caption, “So grateful for her belief/wisdom. Helping me navigate my well-being, mentally, physically, and emotionally, as a human & athlete.”

Moreover, Hennessy detailed how Dr. Taylor has changed her wellness perspective.  She says, “You obviously have shown me of things that I’m starting to implement more into my routine, but things that I did you know subconsciously or you know, getting outside and seeing sunlight you know for your circadian rhythm. You’ve given me the science-based facts that really make sense and we do need to just go back to our instincts of what we did in our ancestral times.”

The surfer’s return-to-nature approach and simple, instinct-driven changes have done wonders for her recovery. Even her physician gave her a shoutout for being so in tune with her body. Whenever she’d introduce a new idea, the surfing pro’s response was always an optimistic, “Yeah!” Well, we’ve seen that optimism first-hand, right? Remember her impressive run at the Paris Olympics? Even though she narrowly missed a medal, falling to Tatiana Weston-Webb in the semis and Johanne Defay in the bronze match, she put on a great show.

Now, Hennessy’s back with a fresh sense of vigor. She will open the surfing competition at the Lexus Pipe Pro in Hawaii shortly, competing against Tyler Wright and Laeky Peterson in heat number 4. Clearly, she has recovered well from the illness that has haunted her for a long time.

Brisa Hennessy’s valiant battle against brain tumor

In 2023, when Brisa Hennessy was mid-way through a competitive streak, she received perhaps the most difficult news of her life which hit her like a massive roadblock. There was a benign adenoma tumor on the base of the pituitary glands in her brain. Thankfully, the fact that it was noncancerous prevented her from undergoing invasive surgery. However, it made her go through a rough patch and deal with concerning symptoms like heart palpitations, fatigue, headaches, depression, etc.

However, Hennessy, the brave heart, could successfully manage it without requiring surgery. She explained, “So, it ended up being months of trying to shrink it or treat it by looking after myself and managing my stress, my mentality, and my body. I had to step off tour and face the reality of where my career and my health was at.” That’s how she even learned to adhere to her body’s needs. We are taking notes for sure!

Hennessy even battled an ear injury in 2024. Despite these challenges, she is now back into the waters for a new surfing season, with a renewed mindset and refreshed attitude. Do you think she could claim a victory? Let us know below!