Four-time FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion Courtney Duncan has been forced to miss the opening round of the 2025 championship in Sardinia due to illness, marking an unexpected setback in her title campaign.
Duncan’s troubles began eight weeks ago when she woke with severe chest pains and was rushed to the hospital. After weeks of uncertainty, she was diagnosed with pericarditis, an inflammation of the tissue surrounding her heart. The 29-year-old had been deep into her pre-season training when the illness struck, making the diagnosis even harder to accept.
“The past eight weeks have been tough,” Duncan lamented. “I was initially unable to do anything physically, and even now, I’m struggling to get through low-intensity sessions. You realise pretty quickly how important your health is.”
Fortunately, doctors have assured her that there is no long-term damage to her heart. However, the recovery timeline remains uncertain.
“There’s nothing to say I won’t get back to 100 percent, but we don’t know how long it’s going to take,” she explained. “It’s different for everyone—some recover quickly, while for others, it takes longer.”
Unlike past injuries, where hard work and rehab accelerated her return to racing, this situation has required the opposite approach.
“With an injury, you push yourself to come back stronger, but with this, the more you do, the worse it gets,” she admitted. “It’s been frustrating to learn that doing less is the only way to get better.”
After consulting with her medical team and European race team, Duncan made the difficult decision to withdraw from the Sardinia round—and possibly the first part of the season.
“It’s tough to accept,” she admitted. “Right now, I can’t even get through a 30-minute low-resistance session, so racing just isn’t realistic.”
Despite the setback, Duncan remains grateful for the support of those around her.
“I want to give a huge shoutout to my friends, family, High Performance Sport New Zealand, and the medical team for helping me through this. My team, my sponsors—DRT Kawasaki, Fox Racing, and Monster Energy—have all been incredibly understanding. It means a lot to know they care about me as a person, not just a racer.”
She also thanked her fans for their ongoing support and assured them she’s doing everything possible to make a full and safe recovery. “I’ll be back,” she promised.
