What the ‘Hyrox’ Incident Reveals About Fecal Incontinence

This past week, the internet demanded that women in sports look more real, then recoiled when one woman did.

In one viral story, female athletes criticized a sports-betting advertisement featuring actress Sydney Sweeney posing practically nude with athletic equipment. During a post-race interview with BBC, British sprinter Amy Hunt challenged the image Sweeney portrayed in the advertisement, declaring that real women in sports look like, “Muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears,” not strategically placed footballs and provocative poses.

At nearly the same time, Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk experienced fecal incontinence during a Hyrox race in Beijing. Wietrzyk continued competing and won the competition, but her athletic achievement and clear embodiment of the very “muscles, hard work, blood, sweat, tears” that Hunt had invoked was quickly eclipsed by images and videos depicting diarrhea running down Wietrzyk’s legs. The public did not celebrate her strength or endurance, but rather recoiled in disgust.

The irony is difficult to ignore. We demanded an authentic representation of the female athlete, but only as long as their natural bodily functions stay safely out of view.

The Hyrox incident raised legitimate concerns. Fecal matter on shared equipment creates a health risk. But the online response went far beyond a discussion of hygiene or race protocols. Images and videos were circulated as entertainment. The athlete became a punchline and reportedly received abuse and online threats. Instead of recognizing a medical issue that race officials failed to manage appropriately, the public treated her as if she had committed a moral offense.

That reaction should concern us far beyond the world of competitive sports. For millions of people living with fecal incontinence, the response to Wietrzyk’s accident reinforced the very stigma that prevents them from discussing their symptoms and seeking medical care.

Fecal Incontinence Is More Common Than the Public Thinks

Fecal incontinence is the involuntary loss of liquid or solid stool. It affects an estimated 8% of adults worldwide. In a large population-based survey, roughly one in seven people reported having experienced fecal incontinence, and these numbers are likely underestimations. The prevalence is higher in females and older adults, and has profound effects on both physical and social well-being. It is associated with anxiety, depression, disability, and impaired functioning. People with fecal incontinence may plan every outing around bathroom access. They may carry extra clothing, avoid public transportation, or decline social outings. Some stop exercising, traveling, dating, or having sex.

Why it Happens and What Can Be Done

Fecal incontinence has many potential causes. As seen in Wietrzyk’s case, a sudden loss of bowel control during intense exercise may be caused by muscle fatigue and changes in bowel blood flow and motility. In contrast, chronic fecal incontinence results from factors such as obstetric injuries, pelvic floor dysfunction, chronic constipation, surgery, neurological disease, and aging-related changes, such as hormone fluctuations and decreased mobility, that may exacerbate underlying risk of developing incontinence.

Management will depend on the underlying cause but may include strategies to address diarrhea or constipation through medication adjustments or diet, pelvic floor physical therapy including biofeedback, medical devices, or surgical interventions.

The Silence Around Fecal Incontinence

Despite the millions of individuals whose day to day lives are severely impacted by fecal incontinence, less than one-third seek care. Many people remain silent because of embarrassment and stigma, prefer for their clinician to initiate the conversation, or do not realize that fecal incontinence is a recognized medical condition with potentially effective treatments.

In addition, I believe part of the issue is that we’re simply not talking about the problem enough — not between clinicians and patients, not among family members or friends, nor in the mainstream media. And when we do, it’s through a viral spectacle that is riddled with shame and criticism, as seen with the Hyrox incident. It should come as no surprise that such responses discourage people from seeking help.

Changing the Conversation

The first step is greater public awareness. People need to recognize fecal incontinence as a medical condition that impacts millions of individuals. Physicians must also initiate these conversations instead of placing the entire burden on the patients. Asking a simple, direct question such as, “do you ever experience accidental leakage of stool?” can make it safer for someone to disclose symptoms they may have concealed for years.

We also need more research to deepen our understanding of the condition and improve treatment modalities.

Perhaps the most urgent change is the narrative surrounding the condition. Fecal incontinence is not a character flaw, a lack of discipline, or evidence that someone is unclean. It can affect elite athletes, people recovering from childbirth, those living with gastrointestinal or neurologic disease, or older adults. It can happen once under extraordinary circumstances or quietly shape someone’s life for years.

We should use this moment not to shame one athlete, but to begin a more honest and compassionate conversation for the millions of people who have been too embarrassed to start one themselves.