Australia’s smiling assassin, Jess Fox, determined to earn ‘Golden Fox’ nickname
AS a youngster Jess Fox had dreams of representing Australia in swimming or gymnastics. But a broken arm set the Olympic silver medallist on her current path.
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AS a kid, Jess Fox wanted to go to the Olympics and win a gold medal in swimming.
And if they didn’t work, she would be one of Australia’s finest gymnasts.
That was the dream for the 10-year-old, who grew up in Glenmore Park at the foot of the Blue Mountains, in greater western Sydney.
That was, until she broke her arm.
“For sure, it was the catalyst for where I am today,’’ Fox said.
Over the sprint distances of 50 and 100 metres, Fox dominated both her school and regional swimming carnivals.
“I think where I did well was that I left nothing in the tank. I just swam,’’ Fox said.
“I loved competing at swimming, but the thing was, I only trained three times a week in the afternoon.
“So I’d get to state level and I would be up against girls who would train every day. You can guess where I finished.
“But I also loved gymnastics and one day I was trying a double barani twist-thing and landed on a crash mat, which is supposed to save you.
“But I had so much speed, that I landed and broke my arm.
“The physiotherapist said do your rehab and keep the swimming up, but you should also try kayaking because that will strengthen your arms.’’
With her arm in a cast, Fox followed her mother Myriam and father Richard - both former kayaking championships - to the 2005 world championships, which were being held at the Sydney 2000 Olympics whitewater course in Penrith.
“I remember seeing Robin Bell (Beijing 2008 bronze medallist in canoe) win gold there,’’ Fox said.
“I made friends and here I am.’’
Where Fox is, exactly, is 40-days away from walking into the Maracena Stadium in Rio de Janeiro for the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympics as one of Australia’s great gold medal hopes.
It will be four years since the then 18-year-old announced herself to the world with an Olympic silver medal in the K1 slalom event in London.
Displaying incredible talent and mental fortitude beyond her years, Fox’s second in the final of the K1, improved on her mother’s bronze from Atlanta 1996 and her father’s fourth in Barcelona 1992.
The stunning result led to the immediate nickname from her Australian teammates and the press of “the Silver Fox”.
On August 12, on the canoe-kayak course of Deodoro, Australia’s smiling assassin is aiming to be renamed our “Golden Fox.’’
Over the past four years, Fox has developed in many facets.
On the water, her strength and power has take a natural surge in maturity with age.
Fox is the reigning world champion and early last month indicated she was on track for Rio domination by claiming gold in the C1 World Cup event in Italy, just days prior to her 22nd birthday.
But Fox, as her name suggests, is also wily.
She knows there is no other pressure quite like the cooker, that is the Olympics.
In an attempt to steel her mind and focus on race day, Fox has turned to working with sports psychologists from NSWIS and the AIS.
“I haven’t had much contact with psychologists in the past, but I think its important to explore every aspect, tick all the boxes,’’ Fox said.
“It’s hard to not start projecting yourself already in Rio, when everyone else is saying “Jess Fox will win gold in Rio’’.
“Everybody else has that expectation.
“There is the pressure, there is the media attention, so it’s about having strategies in place and that’s what I’ll be looking at.
“It becomes a much more serious Olympics when everybody puts that expectation on you. But I still want to enjoy the experience.
“I don’t want it to be an all consuming experience that drains me.
“I think its important that I bring back it to the simple things. Doing the simple things well, will hopefully treat me well.
“I love my sport, I love training and I love racing and that’s what I need to do, bring it back to those basics and enjoy myself on race day by living in the moment.
“I’ve had great results the last four years and proved to myself that I could go to the Olympics, but you really have to do it when it matters.’’
Originally published as Australia’s smiling assassin, Jess Fox, determined to earn ‘Golden Fox’ nickname
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