‘The reason I can be the greatest athlete I can be’: Jessica Fox’s secret to success

This story is part of the November 3 edition of Sunday Life.See all 13 stories.

Three-time Australian Olympic slalom canoe medallist Jessica Fox feels her competitive best on the water but can now add runway model to her repertoire of achievements. The 30-year-old joins L’Oréal Paris as its newest ambassador, kicking off the French connection as part of its famous Walk Your Worth Runway that took place in Sydney last month.

You come from a family of sporting champions: your mother, Myriam, was a French slalom canoeist who competed internationally, including at the Olympics in the ’80s and ’90s, and your dad, Richard, did the same for Great Britain. Given you’ve followed in their footsteps, did you put more pressure on yourself to match their success?

I certainly felt the pressure, for sure. If I wasn’t successful or up to their standard, then how would I be perceived? People did wonder if I had the Fox gene or not. Would I live up to their competition best? Once I got into the Junior World Championships in my teens, I quickly saw that I had some talent. Winning the Junior World Championships at 16 was something my parents weren’t able to do. I have that on them! So yes, I definitely felt the pressure to live up to what they had achieved at the start of my career, but less so as I went on. I am creating my own story. I used their experience as guidance, and their love for the sport to fuel mine.

What’s your relationship like with your sister, Noemie, who is also an Australian gold-medal-winning slalom canoeist?

Noemie is three years younger than me. That didn’t work out so well as teenagers, but we are very close now. It’s awesome to have a best friend as my sister. Family has always been important to us. She has been my training partner and teammate for years. We’ve shared some awesome trips overseas, and experienced the highs and lows of sporting competition.

We became world champions in a 2023 team event with Kate Eckhardt – and to be on the podium together as sisters was a highlight. When Noemie qualified for the Paris Olympics, it was so gratifying. She inspires me in so many ways. She knows what she wants and will say what she thinks! Whereas sometimes I have trouble with that; I am a people pleaser and want to keep the peace. She challenges the system and gives her opinion. I can learn from her, that’s for sure. And it works both ways – I help push her in training when she isn’t motivated and dwelling on something negative. I’ll be the one to tell her, “Let it go, you can do this.”

How does that sisterly love affect what you do when you compete?

I don’t like competing against Noemie in the kayak cross. When we train, we do so well. I love being sparring partners and working together on the water, but when we compete against each other in the cross – that’s head-to-head against other competitors from the start line, so different to slalom, which is one competitor at a time – that is harder. I can’t treat her like another competitor. I don’t want to be the one to block her from achieving her dream or best race. It challenges me to be on the start line and pretend she’s another competitor. I don’t want us to fight on the finish line. I say to her, “If we’re ever in a position in the water where you need to attack me, you do it, don’t ever not do it.” I can’t take my own advice!

You moved from France to Australia with your family aged four. What’s it like being away from your maternal grandmother, whom you admire so much?

My maternal grandmother, Julie, is 89 and someone I still look up to as a strong role model. She was big on us getting a good education and being financially independent – all the more important for her because she was a single mum and hard-working.

Whenever we go back to Marseille to spend time with her, it’s a chance to hang out and do anything but talk about paddling. I spent a week with her after the Paris Olympics. She cooks amazing meals, and we drink tea and coffee in the kitchen and have some great life chats.

“Sometimes we’re affected by the impostor syndrome and take a back seat. Women tend to question themselves more. We need to trust the value that we bring.”Credit: Tracey Lee Hayes

Moving to Australia when I was four was tough for her because we’re her only grandkids. We weren’t supposed to be away for this long, but it’s more than 20 years now. Growing up in Penrith – right near the whitewater sporting facility built for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and where our mum coached in the afternoons – meant Noemie and I were surrounded by water and eventually got in ourselves. We’d go back to Marseille and do schooling there when Mum was away on competitions for a long time, but the system is so different and we did miss Australia. In France, they start at 8am and finish at 5pm. In Australia, it’s 9am to 3pm – and you have the whole afternoon to play sport and do other activities. That lifestyle appealed to all of us, and it’s the reason we stayed.

What feels inherently French about you?

I love French humour, French films and their culture. Mum would watch lots of French films when I was growing up, and it kept me connected to the language. We didn’t grow up surrounded by the French community in Sydney, as they’re predominantly beachside, and we were in the western suburbs. And for me, French food will always win over Australian. But the cafe culture and our love of coffee is something I really miss when I am in Europe.

Have you always been proud to be French?

I remember Mum picking me and my sister up from school as kids and speaking in French. We would tell her to speak to us in English when we were in public. We would shun it a little bit as kids, but now I am so grateful I can speak French. Being bilingual is something I am proud of, and it serves me professionally and personally.

You’re a new ambassador with L’Oréal Paris. What does that mean to you?

Growing up, I’d see the L’Oréal Paris ads in French on TV and hear them say “I’m worth it”. As a kid competing, I dreamed about brands I wanted to work with. L’Oréal Paris was a no-brainer because of my French heritage and because of my long curly hair! I also liked the idea I could break the barrier of athletes being a certain shape and size – that we could also be feminine, feel vulnerable and empowered at the same time. I love the sense of empowerment I get by being part of the “Because You’re Worth It” campaign.

What are some important ways women can be made to feel “Worth It”?

Giving women a chance to be at the table and made to feel they belong in the workplace and in sport is a good start. That our voice matters is key. Sometimes we’re affected by the impostor syndrome and take a back seat. Women tend to question themselves more. We need to trust the value that we bring and the experience we have because it is worth voicing whatever it is we believe in.

How have you nurtured your body confidence?

As a female athlete, I was self-conscious about my broad shoulders and the callouses on my hands because they’re not what beauty is meant to be, according to traditional media. I have learnt to look at my broad shoulders as my strength and the reason I can be the greatest athlete I can – that is so powerful and worth celebrating.

“I find any time I am using my hands, I seem to switch off mentally. I have done some pottery classes in a friend’s studio and I also love to cook.” Credit: Tracey Lee Hayes

We saw you reading the sport segment on the Today show this year. Will you focus on a media career now?

I studied journalism for one term at Sydney University but shifted to psychology and social science and am now doing my MBA. Media is something I have enjoyed working in, and the Today show opportunity was last minute but one I couldn’t turn down. I was like, “Wow, this scares me, but I’ll say yes.” Breakfast TV is live, so that element feels like a competition in that you can’t just stop and do it again. You have to be focused and switched on, like performing in competition. I would love to do more.

How do you switch off from sport?

Getting out in nature and seeing the sunrise. I either go to the beach for an early swim, or when I am in the lower Blue Mountains I do sunrise walks with friends. It fills my cup, gives me so much energy and helps me switch off. Some friends have just had babies, so seeing them immersed in the baby world is a great way for me to switch off.

What are your hobbies when you’re not training or competing?

I like to paint using watercolours. It is not about being good at it, it’s a great release. I find any time I am using my hands, I seem to switch off mentally. I have done some pottery classes in a friend’s studio and I also love to cook. Whatever is tactile and keeps me in the present moment is great for my brain.

Family is a big part of your life. Would you love to have your own one day?

I would love to have a baby one day, and family is something I would love to have for myself too. Now is not the time. I have just come out of a long-term relationship and I am rediscovering that part of my life. It’s not for now but definitely on the cards. I have just turned 30 and the athlete in me has been the focus for so long. Now, after Paris, I am loving discovering my potential in more media work, so I’m leaning into that for now.

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