Why Olympian Jessica Fox is not ashamed to ‘paddle like a girl’

Women’s sport is rapidly transforming across Australia. The Sunday Telegraph has captured five female athletes in their quest to be the best. Here, canoeist Jessica Fox talks about the unique approach she embraced that stunned her critics.

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The age of professionalism is rapidly transforming women’s sport across Australia.

No longer is it about pretty picture opportunities and demeaning pats on the back — these are real, tough sports stars working their guts out to compete with the best in the world.

Award-winning Sunday Telegraph sports photographer Phil Hillyard spent 2018 capturing five women as they went through the grind of training in their quest to be the best.

Here in her own words, canoeist Jessica Fox talks about the unique approach she embraced that stunned her critics.

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“You’re paddling like a girl."

In canoe paddling, generally, the men stick to one side but that was really hard for me.

I didn’t have the shoulder strength and the confidence to do that, so I started switching hands and paddling on both sides.

I remember hearing, “No, that’s cheating”; “You’re not doing it right”.

“The boys paddle like this, this is how you have to do it”.

I remember thinking, “Well, this is what feels right for me”. I needed to do that to build my strength in the sport I was just starting out in.

Eventually it’s what stuck for me, it was my technique and the way I felt myself.

So, yeah, I’m paddling like a girl but I’m winning races, so what of it?

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Slalom canoe Olympian Jessica Fox loves competing in her sport. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Women started canoe paddling in about 2009, even though its only recently been added to the Olympic program for Tokyo.

Before that, no women had ever competed in the canoe category.

Now, what’s awesome to see is that some guys are actually starting to switch as well because they’ve realised they can go a little bit faster.

When I did see some men start switching, it made me laugh. It made me smile.

Fox in action during training at the Whitewater International Regatta centre in Penrith. Picture: Phil Hillyard

It made me think back to those times when they would kind of scoff at us and laugh it off. Now to see them take it seriously and taking us seriously, it’s awesome.

I recently surpassed my parents to become the most successful paddler in history with nine world titles

Being born into that Fox name in canoe slalom was a lot to handle; it was a lot of pressure.

Both my parents were Olympians themselves.

Fox shows off her upper body strength. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Fox trains at a gym session in Penrith. Picture: Phil Hillyard

I remember turning up to my first junior world championship and everyone was talking about me because I was the daughter of these two champions.

There were moments where I was like, ‘What if I don’t even make the final?’ That doubt creeps in.

Fox is the most successful paddler in history with eight word titles. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Fox has an intense training program. Picture: Phil Hillyard

When I won that junior world title in 2010 and really pushed those doubts out, I kind of established myself as my own person — I’ve started my own journey, my own path.

I think my parents have come to accept the fact that now they’re my parents and I’m not their daughter — they’re the parents of Jess Fox and I’m not Jess Fox, the daughter of Richard and Myriam Fox.

Originally published as Why Olympian Jessica Fox is not ashamed to ‘paddle like a girl’