Jessica Fox returns home to celebrate gold medal haul with family
Leonay paddler Jessica Fox has returned home to her family after her historic double at the recent ICF World Championships in America.
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It was the homecoming of the golden girl, but the first thing Jessica Fox did after 50 hours of travel was sit down with her family and watch the replay of her history-making run.
The 20-year-old from Leonay topped off a stellar year by winning both the C1 and K1 events at the World Championships in America, celebrating with her parents who won their own championships 25 years before.
“I’ve been overseas for four months this year, when we got to Deep Creek I felt really good, so for me the goal was to win the C1 event and defend my title, and then concentrate on just making the finals of the K1, and from there I could think about potentially medalling,” Fox told the Penrith Press.
“We didn’t really talk about it being 25 years since they won it, I knew they had, but it was still pretty special for them to be there.
“And I had people coming up to me and saying they raced against my parents and wishing me good luck, which was great.”
After contemplating focusing on just one race earlier in the year, Fox showed the world she was capable of competing and excelling in both the canoe and kayak.
“I definitely focused more on the K1 this year. But I think that I’d learnt a lot from last year, and the strategy at this year’s worlds, after my canoe event, was to switch off completely and have more of a break before the kayak,” she said.
“I showed that I could do both events, even though there was a lot of doubt and people questioning it, but I was confident.”
Now that she has returned home, Fox said she was looking forward to time off and reflecting on her results.
“I just watched it when I got home with my Grandma and sister, because I hadn’t seen the race since it happened,” she said.
“When I did the run I felt really good, like I was on track and building my run, but then when I looked up and saw number one I just exploded, it was all this nervous energy that came out.
“Now I’ll try and just be normal and not do anything too exciting. I go to Glenbrook a fair bit, I have a lot of friends there because I went to school up the mountains.
“it’s so strange being back here after four months. And I’ve seen my posters up on Mulgoa Road and was like: ‘What is that!?’”
2014 RESULTS
■ ICF World Championships: 1st K1, 1st C1
■ ICF WC 4: 9th K1, 1st C1
■ ICF WC 3: 5th K1, 8th C1
■ ICF WC 2: 9th K1, 1st C1
■ ICF WC 1: 3rd K1, 4th C1
■ ICF U23 World Championships: 1st K1, 1st C1
■ Oceania Championships: 1st K1, 2nd C1
■ National Championships: 1st K1, 1st C1
■ Australian Open: 1st K1, 1st C1
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