Wearing the famous green and gold of Australia, Jessica Fox is looking forward to representing her country at a fourth Olympic Games.
She competed at London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 but Paris 2024 looks set to be even more special as she experiences the joys of training and competing with her sister Noemie Fox and feeling the extra support of the French crowd.
While the Fox sisters will be aiming to deliver success for Australia, their French connection is expected to make them favourites among the home fans in Paris.
Their mum and coach, Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi, competed for France, winning bronze at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, and they were both born in the French city of Marseille before later moving to Penrith in Australia.
“Being able to understand the speaker might not be the most advantageous thing but it will essentially feel like a home Olympics,” said Noemie.
“To be able to have so much family and French supporters out there in the stands will be truly the most incredible thing.
“I think Paris is just the dream Olympics for us.
“The momentum that we have all seen has really sparked that Olympic dream for everyone and to be part of it - and not just watching it this time – will be amazing so I can’t wait.”
Jessica has already felt the buzz of the crowd having participated in the Olympic Torch Relay when it passed through the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
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“It will be a spectacular Games,” said Jessica.
“I think they will put on an amazing show and I hope we will put on a good show too in front of our family and friends.
“I think there will be many French supporters cheering for us as well as so many Aussie supporters.”
It will be the first Olympics where the Fox sisters will compete together with Noemie poised to make her Games debut.
Noemie has been her older sister’s biggest supporter at previous Games with Jessica achieving four Olympic medals including women’s C1 gold at Tokyo 2020.
“There has never been jealously when you see someone at the highest level of your sport doing what they are so mad to do and being able to deliver that,” said Noemie.
“I think we all felt such intense emotions.
“My only fear is that I will deplete myself before my own races as I will be so invested in everyone else.
“At the Olympics in 2000, we were there half supporting France and half supporting both Australia and England and then watched Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008) on TV.
“In London (2012) I was there to support Jess as well as in Rio (2016).
“In Tokyo (2020), I was in the commentating team for the Canoe Sprint so to now be athletes together and go through that part of the Olympic journey that I have so desperately been dreaming about is really incredible.”
It has been a long journey for Noemie to finally make her Olympic dream come true.
Noemie opted not to compete at last year’s ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships and instead focus all her attention on securing a ticket at June’s global kayak cross Olympic qualifier in Prague, Czechia.
It was a gamble but it paid off with Noemie securing one of the three remaining women’s kayak cross quotas for Australia.
“To finish on the podium after such a long build up is just the most incredible thing that could have happened and to be able to share that with Jess, my team and my family and a lot of the international athletes who were there supporting me throughout the whole week was truly special,” said Noemie.
Jessica said watching Noemie seal a place at the Olympics “felt like the best day of my life”.
“As a family, it means so much as I have been to a few Olympic Games that have been incredible experiences but this will be such a dream to be able to share that together, with mum as our coach as well,” said Jessica.
“It’s really hard to put it into words but for our whole family it’s an incredible moment and a huge achievement.”
After the highs of Noemie’s success in Prague, the Fox sisters then suffered heartbreak when they learnt of the death of their grandfather, Roger, the father of their dad Richard.
“He played such a huge role in our sport, especially in the UK, getting dad into the sport and the impact that he has had there,” said Jessica.
“He was one of our biggest fans, always sending us messages after our races.
“He found out that Noemie had qualified for Paris just before passing which gives us a lot of peace and joy knowing that.
“He will be front seat watching us in Paris.
“He was meant to be there but unfortunately life.
“He will be our biggest supporter and he will join our other grandpa up there and I know that they will be watching over us and cheering for us.”
Jessica, 30, will be competing in kayak, canoe and kayak cross while Noemie, 27, will only be competing in the latter.
It means that there is a chance that the Fox sisters could face each other in the kayak cross event which will make its Olympic debut in Paris.
“Hopefully we will be in opposite ends of the brackets but you don’t know,” added Jessica.
“I think just having the opportunity to compete together at the Olympic Games is going to be such an incredible moment for us.
“I am really looking forward to this build up and being able to go through this experience together.
“Yes, we may compete against each other but there is so much value and benefit in training together and having that team work as well and then hopefully on the start line we can enjoy the experience and support each other.”
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