Jess Fox is excited to share golden glory with ‘incredible’ Australia as she adjusts to new icon status
Triple gold medallist Jess Fox is returning home from Paris with a new-found fame and although it’s taken some getting used to, she is excited to share her golden glory with Australia after a ghostly Tokyo experience.
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Australia’s golden girl Jess Fox is adjusting to her new-found ‘icon’ status and popularity after her history-making Paris Games campaign stamped her name in the legend books and saw her elected to the IOC.
While living in the Olympic village bubble, it’s hard to imagine just how Fox, 30, retained her focus on her own events as she not only prepared for two gold medal races but also championed her sister Noemie and the entire Australian Olympic team: aka she was everywhere.
The three-time gold medallist received an inkling of the widespread attention back home while in the French capital, telling Code Sports that she had been alerted that the buzz was “bigger than normal.”
“You’re in your own little world doing the Olympic thing but a lot of people were messaging me from back home saying you’re everywhere on TV, your face is on a billboard, plastered on the front page of the newspaper,” Fox told this masthead.
And now back on home soil, the noise has been bigger than she ever anticipated with everybody wanting a piece of Australia’s newest legend.
“I can’t leave the house looking like a complete slob anymore because people want a photo,” Fox said.
“I’ve slept in my bed once since being home, with shoots, events and doing some TV work.”
“It’s been awesome to have a break from the normal but I’m definitely looking forward to a rest and recharge and catching up with everyone.”
After an isolated Tokyo Games where she won her first Olympic gold in front of a ghost town, Fox says that the support has been “incredible” and this time round feels like the real thing.
“Being home now, bumping into people on the street, them sharing the impact we had over there, that they watched races and got up in the middle of the night, those moments have been really beautiful.
“We really missed that after Tokyo, being able to go out into the community, to share it with those who have been with us since day one or those who have jumped on the bandwagon now but are our biggest supporters.
“It’s all amazing, positive, lovely energy we’re getting from people.”
For the four-time Olympian, celebrating the golden glory with all those who have supported her along the way is a key priority since returning home, with her community road trip continuing as part of Toyota’s Team Everyone movement.
“It’s really about sharing everything that the Olympics is about with all the people behind the athletes that you see,” Fox, the Toyota ambassador said.
“There are so many people who share the Olympic spirit, whether that’s the physios, nutritionists, psychologists, massage therapists or the volunteers and officials who run the club races to the kids and coaches who are in the grassroots program, the fans watching on TV and Team Everyone celebrates that whole piece.”
And the campaign has offered her the opportunity to attract further attention to her sport while surprising young and inspired paddlers, which Fox says “reminds you what it’s all about.”
“I remember being that age and meeting some of my idols and the impact that could have enlightening that spark so it’s cool now that I’m the person doing that.
“I can’t wait to go paddle with the kids and show them the medal and hopefully also, to capitalise on this momentum we have to get people into boats and try the sport.
After her extraordinary Olympic success and genuine love for the Australian Olympic Team across almost two decades, Fox tops off her golden year with a selection to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), where she will represent the athlete’s voice, a bigger role to the one she’s held previously with the commission.
“We’ll look at the issues that are important to athletes and always give athletes perspective on topics to those organising the Olympics and those working in the IOC so the athlete experience is always front of mind for any decision that’s made,” Fox said.
“Athlete welfare and other issues that are important like sustainability and mental health.
“It’s pretty special, a big step up but I’ve always loved that kind of challenge as well.”
The role will also see her work through to the Los Angeles Games and towards Brisbane in 2032, although with the countdown to a home Olympics still eight years away, it’s likely a stretch to dream of her participation in what would be her sixth Games if all went to plan.
But LA and a fifth campaign is “definitely still on the cards.”
Her focus instead is to place the Brisbane campaign in the best shape possible on the global stage.
“To be part of that run to Brisbane will be really great.”
So what comes next for Jess Fox? No break for a triple gold medallist she says.
“Getting back in pretty quickly as I’ve got a couple more races at the end of the year.
“We just keep rolling, we’ve got the world championships in Penrith next year so that’ll be the big one. I’m super excited to have the world come to us, and that kick starts the LA campaign.”
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