How Noemie Fox Became The World_S First Kayak Cross Olympic Champion

Noemi Fox is the first ever Olympic champion in the women's kayak cross.

And while she comes from a family of paddling royalty,

the youngest Fox wasn't always in love with the sport.

A self-described late bloomer,

it wasn't until age 15 that Noemi found her love for water sports.

Growing up alongside her Olympic champion sister,

Noemi kept falling just short of that Olympic quota.

That is, until she found kayak cross and made it her niche.

While she only left herself two months to qualify for the Paris Games this year,

the journey to get there was certainly worth its weight in gold.

My name's Sophie and I'm the producer here at the Female Athlete Project.

Chloe caught up with Noemi as she touched down in Australia,

gold medal around her neck, with the biggest smile you've ever seen.

This chat proves that even Olympians,

and Olympic gold medalists at that,

struggle with their self-confidence.

Noemi shows how hard work and determination can pay off,

and that sometimes backing yourself can be the biggest challenge.

We hope you enjoy this chat because it was epic,

and Chloe even got to hold the gold medal.

Noemi, welcome to the Female Athlete Project.

Thank you.

What a dream and honour to be here, standing in front of you.

Oh my gosh.

Or sitting in front of you.

Good start.

As I was sitting, I feel like you've had a hectic couple of weeks.

You are an Olympic gold medalist.

I know.

Crazy.

Like you.

I just noticed we have the same tattoo now.

When did you get your tattoo?

In Paris.

Yeah, I was in the food hall with my friend Jean that does rowing,

and I was like, Jean, we have to do it.

We have to get tattoos.

And so we went to get them an hour before we had to regroup for the charter flight.

So yeah, I'm glad I did it.

And then I just saw you had it too.

So I was like, magic.

That's very cool.

I saw, was there a tattoo artist in the Olympic Village?

There was, but yeah, the guy was booked out and I didn't get in fast enough.

Okay.

No gold medal privileges for the tattoo artist.

He didn't even reply to me on Instagram.

Oh, savage.

I know.

I'm getting a taste of my own medicine though, because for me,

I've been on Do Not Disturb this whole time.

I'm overwhelmed.

You know, you receive so many messages and support,

but it's just, you just don't know where to start.

But yeah.

Yeah.

It's full on.

I tried to convince my Giants teammates the other day that it was compulsory,

that if you went to the Olympics, you had to get the tattoo.

You probably think so.

I walked in thinking like, oh no, I won't do it.

It's a cliche.

I won't do it.

And then I'm like, it changed me for life.

You know, the Olympics was just so huge and like monumental and life changing

that you feel like you need to, you know,

you feel like you need to tell everyone and mark it.

And, um, and cement it, you know, on your body.

So yeah.

I love that.

We're going to get to that monumental feeling, but we always start by going back to your childhood.

Can you describe yourself as a little kid?

Little kid.

Um, I'd say quite like, I don't want to say like a show girl, but I loved, you know, like I always thought I was going to be an actress when I was growing up and definitely so far from that now.

But like, I loved, um,

Um, yeah, like just Jess and I, we always grew up like next to the, the bank.

So we had a really great childhood and, and I'd always be, you know, like running around.

I'd definitely be more of like the cheeky one, um, and a little bit sassy and loved, loved a bit of drama.

But I think, you know, above all, I was a good girl.

I don't know how to describe it, but like, yeah, very, my mom kept us in line.

Um, we did all these different sorts of activities.

And, um, you know, half French, half English.

I think I communicated in both.

Um, but yeah, I don't know.

I was just, uh, I like, I look back at my childhood and I'm like, wow, like how lucky we were to kind of live what we lived.

But, um, yeah, I'd say, I don't know how I'd describe myself.

I'd say a bit cheeky, but like cute.

I was, I was pretty cute.

I like that.

And when was it that your parents moved over?

In 19...

98 or 99.

So we moved over for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and, um, we went to stay for four years and then they just loved it.

I think, you know, it was like Australia was so big.

They saw how safe it was for, you know, their kids.

And, uh, then we started school and then once we started school, it was like, we loved school.

I went to France, school in France for a little bit, hated it.

Oh.

It was scary.

It was hard.

It was like indoors and Australia was just like.

It was like outdoors.

It was fun.

The teachers were nice.

There was very much there.

You're doing great.

And, uh, yeah.

You're doing great, sweetie.

You're doing great, sweetie.

And so, um, yeah, they loved it and we stayed.

Yeah.

Wow.

And there's been lots of amazing photos of you and Jess circulating over the past couple of weeks,

but there's one of you both sitting in a kayak when you were pretty young.

Yeah.

You were at the back looking relatively unimpressed.

Yeah.

The inflatable kayak.

Yeah.

I saw that photo and I'm like, I'm out of all photos.

That's the one that's circulating.

Um, yeah, I think unimpressed is probably like a good word to describe kayaking for me in

the early days.

It was very much like the things my parents did and I just felt like I was always getting

dragged out.

Like, I don't really know what else I loved doing.

Like I did a bit of swimming and, um, mainly swimming and tumbling.

Um, but I wasn't like super passionate about those sports, but I just was not impressed

by kayaking.

And, and, uh, it was just like arduous, you know, even going in a straight line was hard.

It was physical.

You got wet.

And like, I, yeah, at first I really wasn't super impressed by it, but then, then I see

videos and I look like I'm having a great time as well.

But the overall feeling was like, it's fun to do from time to time.

But as a sport, it was definitely like, no, not, not for me just now anyway.

Hmm.

When was the point when you were like, oh, maybe.

For me.

For me.

Um.

I'd, I'd say it was, um, 2012 when I did my first overseas trip, I was selected in

the talent ID program and we went to New Zealand with a whole other group of kids my age.

And so get how old I was back then.

Can't do maths quick enough, but you know, like 15 and, uh, going over with friends to

New Zealand, first trip without the parents.

And it was so fun.

Like we had such a fun time.

I got to see New Zealand.

And it was kind of like a moment where I thought, oh, wow, like I can do this for me.

Like I can have friends, I can go to cool places.

And, and that year I also, um, when we went back to France, I did a club trip with my,

um, with my granddad's club and same thing.

We went to a river with the club, a lot of kids my age.

And it was just, yeah, those two moments kind of made me get hooked on the sport more initially

from the social side of things, you know, like making friends.

Traveling, seeing like the beauty of sport, as opposed to the like competition, I'm going

to win.

I'm good at this.

I think that came quite later.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay.

How do you start?

Do you start going straight?

Yeah.

You start going straight.

That's definitely important to learn how to do.

And then it's a good skill.

You know, it's much harder than people think.

I think a lot of people think kayaking is easy and then they try and they're like, oh gosh,

I can't even go straight.

And it is really hard to go straight.

Initially.

And then once you know how to do that, it's very natural.

And then you learn how to turn and then you learn like the other skills and drills and

techniques and, you know, sweep strokes and draw strokes and, um, and then you go on the

moving water and then, um, you know, it's a very much a building up process.

Uh, in kayaking, it's impossible to go from, you know, zero to 100.

There's no, you can't like just cut to the chase.

It's really much about building the foundation.

And, you know, learning, unlocking level one, then level two, then level three and, and,

um, yeah, very, very technical sport and the best athletes you can tell that they got the

foundations right straight away.

And we were lucky to have pretty expert parents in that field that really got the foundations

right straight away.

But, um, yeah, you build up to it and then you go to the big whitewater eventually.

Do you remember your first time?

I remember.

Um, yeah.

Yeah.

Um, I remember the first, yeah, the first time I went on Penrith whitewater, um, huge

rapids.

I also, I think for me, the marking moment, there's like two marking moments.

Um, the first one was probably one of the first times on like whitewater, like between

moving water and whitewater, like there was definitely some breaking waves and I, um,

I flipped over and I was actually in Germany with my German friend.

We're still friends now, which is funny.

And I think that kind of sums up kayaking well.

But she, I did her German kayaking lesson.

I jumped in and I flipped over in the kayak and I didn't pull my deck.

Like normally you pull your deck.

You know how to do that.

It's like the exit strategy.

I know how to do that.

What do we say the deck is?

The deck is like the skirt.

Oh, it's called a deck.

Good to know.

It's called a deck.

A kayak deck basically.

Okay.

Um, but yeah, the skirt, it's got like a tag.

You're in the kayak, it covers your knees so the water doesn't get in.

And then when you flip over, you either roll yourself back up.

And I knew how to roll.

I didn't roll and I didn't pull the tag either to exit.

So I just stayed underwater for what felt like a long time.

And then the German coach, she flipped me back over and then like yelled at me and then

made me roll and practice my rolling for like 20 minutes, traumatized, put the kayak away,

didn't touch it for a year.

So that's, I think my earliest memory of, um, like moving water and starting kayaking.

Um, yeah.

It can be.

It can be quite scary sometimes, but glad I eventually got back into it, um, after some

time.

But yeah, that was enough to turn me off for a while.

Yeah.

That's um, I think it was the German, I think it was being yelled at in German, you know,

it was really, it was, it was scary, scary time.

So you get back in the boat.

When did you start to realize like, I'm, I'm pretty good at this.

I think, yeah, it's, it's.

I feel like.

I feel like I haven't felt that I'm pretty good at this until the latest stage of my

career.

I think I, like I knew that I was competitive and then I made my first, um, junior team

and I, you know, made my first final, but I think, um, I was kind of just enjoying it

still not in that like competitive, like I'm that, yeah, I think, I guess that competitive

mindset, I was doing it because I liked it and I was making the team.

Um, but I think, you know, next to me, I saw Jess.

You know, winning everything.

And so that's why I was like, oh, actually I'm coming 10th or 12th.

Maybe I'm not pretty good at this, but I enjoy it.

You know?

So I think that definitely kind of was the mind frame for a lot of my junior and under

23 career.

And then it wasn't until I won my first individual under 23 medal at the world champs where I

was like, oh wow.

Like that was a key breakthrough for me, um, which was good for, you know, everything confidence

level.

I think, you know, that happens when you're on a board before you kind of realise your

potential, like that you are worthy or that you're good at, at that.

And, and, um, yeah, but I think that like competitive, I'm good at this, I'm going to

win.

That still is something that I've only developed in like the last two years, three years.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's quite incredible.

late bloomer.

thriving though you late bloomer.

I know time to perfection.

I'd say, you know, perfection.

Oh my gosh.

First Olympics, first gold.

That's the one thing I have on the rest of the family, you know.

I love that.

It took Jess six medals, but it took her a long time to get the gold.

Really slow, Jess, actually.

Speaking of late bloomers, Jess.

Savage.

We love you, Jess.

So, kayak cross is, I love watching it.

It's just like such a cool version of the sport.

When was it first in discussions to be introduced at the Olympics?

First discussions were, I think, around 2015, 2016.

I had my first, like, introduction to it in 2016.

We did World Cups.

And then when Paris, and I forget what year it was,

but when Paris was confirmed as the Olympic host city,

with that was kayak cross confirmed as an Olympic discipline.

And our sport is very traditional.

Like, it's a white European male-dominated sport.

So, already when we were trying to achieve

gender equality and bring in the canoe,

the women's canoe into the Olympic program,

that had a lot of backlash because, you know, no way.

C2, originally it was, yeah, four men and one female,

because you'd have the men's kayak, the men's canoe,

and the C2 men's, and just the women's kayak.

And that was up until 2020, where the C2 were taken out

and the C1 women were introduced.

And so, it was two women and two men.

Yes, yeah, of course.

And so, it was two women and two men.

Yes, yeah, of course.

So, it's very hard to kind of bring about change

and influence change.

And so, when kayak cross was introduced,

it was met with a lot of, yeah, backlash as well

from a lot of, you know, those keyboard heroes

and old kayaking medalists that just really think

that it's taking away from the tradition of the sport

as opposed to, you know, bringing a whole new opportunity

for younger athletes, but also spectators.

And, yeah, it took a while for people to kind of grasp onto it.

But like anything, when it's in the Olympic program

and this is what we saw on the podium,

it's really those countries that embraced it at the start

that are being rewarded and that were rewarded in Paris.

And Australia was definitely one of those countries.

Like they were for the women's canoe,

they did the same for kayak cross, GB in France as well.

And so, I think it was quite a symbolic moment for us,

especially the women's podium,

to see that it's those that invested the most since the start

that, you know, came out on top.

But, yeah, it was incredible to see the turnout in Paris

because like any new discipline, you don't really know

when it's the first time in the Olympics,

how it's going to be received, how it's going to go.

But it was such an incredible show that, like,

the level of the competition was so intense.

And I think the fact that Jess, world champion,

the latest World Cup winner, was knocked out in the heats

before the quarterfinals,

was also quite a testament to, like,

the level of the girls in the field.

So, overall, it was, yeah, such an incredible event.

And it was, you know, an honour to be part of that,

but then a bigger, even bigger honour to obviously win the event

and, you know, think that maybe I'll be in, like, the textbook.

I'm not sure if we'll still have physical textbooks,

but to think, yeah, I'm the first ever kayak cross Olympic champion

in the women's category.

So, yeah, it went really well.

Was there a point when you made a conscious decision

that you wanted kayak cross to be your niche?

Yeah, definitely.

I think it's, I had that thought in 2021 because I'm definitely,

like, I definitely think that I've got a bit more of an aggressive nature.

You know, like, maybe it's the younger sister thing,

but, you know, you provoke and you're, like, you know,

definitely more fiery, like my mum.

Okay.

And then Jess is much more like my dad, calm,

composed, like, yeah, you know what, if you want it, take it.

So that's like Jess, you know, whereas I'm more like, no, it's mine.

So I thought, okay, kayak cross, it's good for me because it's, like,

you know, quite aggressive.

It can get the elbows out.

And there's the element of slalom which I, you know, struggled with,

which is that sort of state of flow, composure,

like delivering the perfect race is super important.

And in kayak cross, there's more room for error.

You can hit the poles and something about, you know,

hitting the poles takes away a huge mental load because you're like,

I can just go for it, you know, whereas slalom,

everything's about, you know, controlling as much as you can

and avoiding a touch, avoiding a penalty.

Like, it's an art form, you know, whereas kayak cross is more of that,

like there's room for a bit of mess and argy-bargy-ness

and you really have to, like, fight and there's more of an adrenaline rush.

And I think for me that's sort of the state that you have to be in,

mentally, to perform in those conditions is something that I've always,

that has come more naturally and that I've been able to really work on.

But, yeah, I definitely had that moment in 2021 where I realised, oh, wow,

it's also, you know, medal opportunities for me.

And when you start to make a final and then you realise, oh, I'm good at this,

I can keep going, you know, and so that's kind of when it kicked off,

I'd say 2021 at those world championships.

I'm quite interested in the difference between and kind

of that psychology element in a way.

I've talked about with my own career.

So when I was playing basketball, I was really anxious, I think,

as a young athlete and basketball, there's, like, minimal room for error.

Like, the ball is pretty similar to the size of the hoop and if you stuff it up,

you can have a horrible game or if you're on, you can have a great game.

And then I found this real sense of freedom when I started playing rugby

because if I threw a pass that was half a metre off,

my teammate could still run onto it and catch it.

Is there similarities in that sense with the kayak cross where it's like,

you can kind of just, even if you make an error,

you just go out there and keep doing your thing?

Yeah, I definitely think that there's a huge parallel with what you said.

And for me, I think I always carried a lot of, like,

anxiety about racing in slalom and still do because, you know,

you have to really trust that you've done the work,

that you've done those moves, that you can deliver.

There's also the thought of everyone's just watching you, you know?

Yes, compared to the four of you going on down, yeah.

Yeah, and, you know, I, watching the slalom,

at the Olympics, it was like, oh, wow,

like I don't know how I would have reacted in those start blocks

because the whole amphitheatre of, yeah,

of 12,000 spectators is eyeing off, you know, you.

You're in the start blocks and then you've got to lead

in with a really technical move.

And so there's definitely that level of, you know,

anxiety that I've had about slalom.

And then for me in kayak cross, it was, and I look at my mental state

in Paris, like I was not at all nervous.

I was like, I'm ready.

Wow.

To be here and the crowd is just fueling me.

Whereas I know that if I was in slalom,

I think I would have been debilitatingly nervous in the start blocks.

And I think for me, it's, kayak cross, it's knowing that when I start,

I start straight out at the start blocks off the ramp.

And it's just like, it sets the tone for my race for like my, you know,

the mindset and what I need to do.

And yeah, I think just starting off with a full like sprint and

final, you know, fighting basically really helps me kind of get into

my race as opposed to starting in slalom, easing in, going up to the

start and being like, okay, here we go.

So yeah, I've really loved that element of, um, kayak cross and also knowing

that, you know, it's not going to be perfect, you know, that there isn't

room for error though, essentially in kayak cross because, um, you have to

get out fast in front of your competitor.

Um, yeah, there, there, there isn't room for error, but there's, you

know, the, the nature of it is a little bit different in the sense that

you don't have to, you know, you can touch it if you, you're offline a

little bit, or if you're, if they're on your tail, you know, there's just

a lot of adapting and reading the scenarios as opposed to, you know,

trying to execute that perfect race that you visualized and knowing

there's zero room for error.

And if it doesn't go to the way you planned and the way you visualized

your art in kayak cross, you've got to be, you know, quite in it, um, and

alert and doing your own race.

And you know that things are moving, that things are going to go, um, you

don't know how they're going to go essentially.

It's interesting that you talked about being quite calm in the lead up to

your event, because I was so curious watching from the other side of the

world in the middle of the night with you, obviously supporting Jess earlier

in the event, and she's just performing, winning gold medals.

And you're obviously, it was so beautiful seeing your whole family there

being able to support her.

But how does that feel when you know your event is still coming up?

I think I did a lot of preparation for that.

And, um, kind of all started at the world championships in London.

I just did the kayak cross, um, and that was a really hard and long wait for me.

It was really hard to not be there for the slalom.

I couldn't race in the slalom because if I did, I would have ruled myself out from

the quota qualification race in June.

So already 10 months before my quota qualification race, I had to start making

a plan and make those big decisions.

And that was a really hard time because I removed myself from what was my only ever

pinnacle event in my sport, you know?

And the world champs.

Um, but you know, I think that really set the tone, um, and helped me prepare for Paris.

I had to wait around, watch everyone, um, and then think I'm just here for this.

Like everyone else is doing two categories.

I'm just here for this.

What if, you know, I fail?

How embarrassing.

There was all of that sort of internal dialogue.

And then, um, you know, I learned how to kind of use it as a strength of, okay, I'm just

here for this, but all the training I can do, all the mental prep, all the physical

prep, um.

And I'm going to be the hungriest person on the start line.

And it was the same for Prague when I got the quota, um, in June, I was just there for

the kayak cross.

And so for Paris, I knew that the last two races where I had just been there for the

kayak cross had gone really well.

And we trained really hard and I kind of had come to terms with, you know, even if you're

just here for the kayak cross, that's a strength.

It's not embarrassing, you know, because a lot of the time you do three categories and

you think, okay, kayak didn't go well.

I've got canoe.

You think of them as chances.

Yes.

Um, in kayak cross, you're just there for that.

There's definitely an element of what if I'm out straight away?

Like how embarrassing for me, what a failed Olympic campaign.

But I was, yeah, definitely in a mindset of I'm here.

What an incredible privilege to be here.

Like it's been your dream.

You had such a hard selection process.

You proved to yourself that, you know, you're worthy because that selection process was

like gladiators.

And, um, so the fact I came out on top.

You know, definitely fueled me with confidence and, uh, I didn't also want to deprive myself

of living the Olympic movement.

Like I think Tokyo really made us feel all the emotions when Jess won and they're the

most beautiful emotions I've ever experienced in life that for Paris already, it was such

a special Olympics.

It was magical.

And then when Jess was racing, I didn't want to like detach myself and think, okay, focus

on your race, you know, just watch and just clap and be like, yay.

I, uh, I didn't want to emotionally drain myself, uh, like either, but I definitely

did.

And I got very invested and it was magical and I'm glad I did because it was such a beautiful

moment for our sport, for our family, for Jess.

And then she did it again and I was like, okay, now I really have to like step back

and relax.

I was very selfish of you Jess actually, I've already used up a lot of emotional energy

on you.

I recharged well.

And I, um, yeah.

I think.

I'm definitely someone that is quite, um, I don't know, I latch onto those like emotional

things, you know, I latch onto those, um, yeah, I pull at the emotional heartstrings

of, um, all the Olympic stories and that's what I love the most.

That's also what fuels me.

I think as an athlete is, you know, doing the opening ceremony, seeing the Eiffel tower

sparkle and just thinking like seeing the magic in things that I, I definitely, you

know, had to wind down and do my, do my boxing.

Yeah.

I love a bit of box breathing during my meditating, but, um, but yeah, I definitely let myself

be fueled by those performances and, and, you know, okay, well I want to have my moment

too.

And I'm here and I want, you know, the crowd to be cheering for me and from that feeling

of crossing the line first.

Um, and, uh, yeah, I think I was in such a good mindset of like, you know, you've done

the work.

You've just got to go out there and make it happen and use all those performances that

you saw.

And, and, um, uh, you know, I think I, I really, really, really want to be able to make that

moment happen and, um, do my best to be able to be able to be in those performances that

I've been doing for a long time.

I think that's a really important part.

And I think I was just thinking, you know, when you think about like, I've been wanting

to be able to do that the way that I've been doing my, my, my life, my life.

I think it's really important for the people that I've been doing my life that I've been

doing my life as strength, but also know that, um, you know, there could be disappointment

as well.

I think, you know, you see the 1% of the Olympic dream sometimes, and, and the reality is,

is a lot of, um, performances that just don't go to plan because timing it to perfection

at the Olympic Games under all that pressure is yeah it's definitely really really hard so

I was also aware that you know it could not go to plan but I just wanted to focus very much on the

process not the results and and I think you know even the people that were like you're next you

know just as one now it's your turn you've got it like previously I think it would have really

impacted me but I was in such a like I'm here I'm ready to be here mindset that I thought okay I'll

use it as confidence you know like whatever like I um I previously I think it would have really been

like a my gosh like I don't want everyone's looking at me I don't want them to think that

I'm gonna win because what if I don't so yeah I did a lot of you know prep to make sure that I was

there to perform but had that sort of you know armor and protection around to just focus on the

task and and my own motivations really and so it's time to compete there's a number of rounds there's

like yeah a lot of

rounds there's a lot of rounds qualification time yeah what are the names of the rounds my

friends were like I'm confused very confusing so there was the time trial which was two weeks ago

today um yeah so it was on um Friday the 2nd of August and that was the time trial basically

dictates the ranking yeah and then the ranking dictates the pools and who chooses um who has

the priority of lane choice um and so that was on the Friday normally in a world cup schedule

we do um the time trial in the evening the next day all of the rounds um here it was spread over

four days which was very long and we yeah that's why we really had to kind of take every day step

by step by step the Saturday was the first round um and the first top seven had just three people

in their heats I was eight and how it works is you have like you know one great paddler and then

um two average paddlers and if you're a heat of four you have two higher strength paddlers and

the two of them are the ones that are going to be the first to be the first to be the first to be the

lowest rank paddlers and my heat was two high-ranked paddlers me included and then two

very high-ranked paddlers that made mistakes and were lower ranked so my first heat when I looked

at it was initially like oh my god why me like no I'm good I'm done from the start um and and yeah

and then we had a heat one and then quarterfinal semifinal final so lots of rounds to to get

through and and um yeah it was

it was a big four days of competition and you touched on earlier that moment when Jess got

knocked out yeah and when she came over to you and and gave you a big hug what was it that she

said to you in that moment that was a very emotional moment uh she said okay take it all

the way and I knew like it was hard seeing her knocked out and and um in my head it was going

to be one and two you know we're both going to make it through and when I exited the last up and

I saw her do it like a research she missed the up and it was like initially a

oh my god she's she's she's not gonna get it she's not gonna come through and um as opposed to

I'm through yes next round and so like compared to all the other rounds where I like celebrated

here was the first reaction was like no like she's she's done but then you know quickly um

you know had a hug and and then it was like yeah I'm on to the next round let's go and

and I knew at the end of the day you know she had two gold medals she'd be fine but it was hard and

it was you know again like a big test and then she was like oh my god she's like oh my god she's not

going to get it she's not going to give up she's not going to give up she's not going to give up

estimates of the how hard the race was and and how anything can happen so you just have to really

stick to your race get through try be top two and and um yeah when you're through you're through

you keep charging until the end and then it was quite amazing watching you because like you talked

about kind of being aggressive as soon as it starts like you just were like on a mission it

was like it was just you were just made for it you were just so you just looked so in the zone and

you were just out because some people kind of get me I have no idea the technique of it but some

people would obviously like get a little bit caught up yeah kind of just like I'm on here

yeah and I think so my first round like I said was very hard and I was looking on paper and I thought

oh gosh like how am I cursed with the hardest heat from the start but I was talking with my team and

they're like well you know what you set the standard straight away for like your tone and

for the race whereas everyone might ease into it and then quarter final time

though it was pretty unique.

Wow.

they'll be shell-shocked and I think, you know,

it was the best possible thing that could have happened

because from the start it was a battle and that was one

of my hardest races.

The first round that's meant to be the easiest round

out of everything and that really set the tone

of like starting really strong, starting really, really hard

and trying to get in front and kind of maybe, yeah,

shocking everyone from the start that it's like,

I'm out of there.

And, yeah, that was definitely the strategy

and we practised really hard to have fast starts

and to, you know, when you're on the ramp and as soon

as it drops, like you're out of there and you're just hunting

down the course and, yeah, I think I'm really proud

of how that turned out but also knowing that if you're second

or third, the race is not over and you can hunt down well

and, yeah, but the starts were an incredible feeling

to like get out first and then, yeah, to hear the crowd as well,

like just the buzz of the crowd and then just be charging

down the course.

It's like you're just in this, in like a chase

or be chased mindset full of adrenaline but also

like super calm and focused.

Like it's just a weird mindset to be in.

It was so like you're floating but you're buzzed

and you're charged but you're also alert because everyone's coming

at you left, right and centre.

So, yeah, really proud of that sort of like mental,

I guess, state that I was in and sometimes

I'm not.

Yeah.

I'm like, wow, like I achieved that.

Yeah.

That was me.

Yeah, you did.

So, yeah, it was an incredible feeling to be able to, you know,

barge through and do that.

Olympic final, you're sitting there about to start.

What's going through your head?

Right before the start, my coach was like, okay, you're here.

Like, wow, like it's the Olympic final.

Like before that, he's very calm, process-driven.

So something that definitely helps me because,

you know, I sometimes, you know, get distracted or think,

oh, my God, maybe I'll make the final or like, you know,

so he very much, you know, grounds me down and we stay very process-driven,

which for kayak cross is super, super important.

But then right before the final, he had this like, oh, my God,

like you're here.

And so I was like, yeah, wow, like I'm here and enjoy it.

And so when I was on the start of the ramp, up the top, you know,

the crowd was going crazy because there was a French girl in the final.

Yes.

And I let myself go.

I let myself kind of just enjoy that and be aware of it and not be like,

you know, we're here.

Like there was that element of very present and aware of what's happening.

They started playing ABBA as well before they were calling people.

And I was like, I was thinking about my friends in the stands

and how much fun they were having.

And so there was very much like a, you know, I'm so meant to be here.

This is the moment I've been waiting for.

Like, this is incredible.

And then obviously, you know, when they call your name,

it's after they call my name, there was, I guess,

this just kind of process of, okay, put your mouth guard in, like head down,

like let's do the race and wait for the other people to be called.

And then they go in with the like boom, boom, boom, boom.

And that gets you, I think, in that mind frame of we're going.

Yeah.

And then do you remember going down the course?

I do remember.

Or is it just all of a sudden?

I don't remember.

It's a bit of a blur, but I think, you know, I knew I didn't have a good start.

Well, I had a good start, but Kim Woods from GB, she got out faster.

And I kind of knew that would happen.

She's one of the strongest paddlers on the circuit.

I knew she was next to me.

I knew she's very, very argy-bargy.

And I thought if she gets out and I'm just behind her perfect,

I didn't want to get out at the same pace as her because she would have,

we both would have lost time.

She would have really tried to push me out of the race.

She got out first.

I just tracked her down.

And I knew she'd go left because she had been going left into the upstream the whole race.

And I also knew that she knew that I might go right and that she'd probably maybe avoid me.

And so when we set up for the roll, it's a good strategic moment to see what's going to happen.

What angle their boat is kind of determines which way they're going to go.

And as soon as I saw her body turn left, I was like, let's go.

Let's charge.

And so, yeah, I turned right and I had a really fast upstream.

And that got me right in front of the German girl who was pretty close to me.

And then Kim got attacked by Angers from France.

And so I came out first.

And you don't hear the crowd.

It's like a buzz.

It's just like a white noise.

But I was close to the bank.

I was probably like, you know, three meters from the bank.

And I heard the guttural.

I heard the scream of my mom.

And she's got a very distinctive voice.

You know, you can detect it.

And that was like a, like, let's go.

I'm out.

Did she yell something at you?

No, it was just like, it was just a scream.

Like, it was like a, I'm not going to repeat it.

I mean, you can.

But it was just like, yeah, the guttural, like, oh, my God.

Like, she's in front.

And it was, yeah, it was like an impulse, really.

And then Kim was on my tail.

Like, it was quite.

It was quite disruptive because she was, yeah, she was pushing it.

And so that can easily kind of affect your steering.

She was pushing it.

I couldn't move.

I couldn't get out of the water.

But I really had that moment from, you know, a couple of gates,

half the course length where I was leading.

Like, I was trying to compose myself.

Okay, stay in front.

Stay in front.

You know, just go through the gates.

And I knew that I had to send the last upstream because she'd be chasing me

down.

The gold.

She was not going to go to a different one.

She was going to attack me.

I knew that.

And I think that last upstream is kind of probably the moment that I'm so proud

of in the whole Olympic campaign.

It's like, you know, when everything builds up to that one performance,

that one, you know, segment of a race.

And to be chased down by Kim, who's one of the most aggressive paddlers,

reigning world champion, and pull off a fast up before she could get,

because she was like, you know, not even,

she was half a boat length distance from me.

And I basically, yeah,

I pulled off a fast upstream and she couldn't overtake me.

And that's the sort of thing you practice really hard in training.

But to deliver in a race under the pressure at the end of a course,

I didn't do it in any of my previous runs.

And I hadn't practiced that up like that.

I knew I'd done it once or twice in training,

but I hadn't delivered it in.

I hadn't done it in a race run.

And to, yeah, to do that, it felt like I came out and I was like,

ah, I won.

So, yeah, that was a moment where it was, it's, yeah,

to deliver that I think all your hard work pays off at the right time

and you kind of are in disbelief that you managed to pull it off

when it mattered.

And so you crossed the line, you are the Olympic champion,

and your family jumped in the water and celebrated

with you.

What on earth did that feel like?

I'm still kind of, it felt like disbelief and shock

and I still don't understand how I was so in shock and in disbelief

because, you know, I look back at my racing and I won every single round.

I was like undefeated.

I paddled the best I've ever paddled and I was so prepared.

But it's like I just didn't believe that I'd won

and I was like, no, surely not, you know.

And so there was, yeah, a lot of disbelief that it was,

it was my moment and like what I'd just experienced with Jess

by the kayak, the canoe, like I was experiencing that for me this time.

And, yeah, it was a bit of shock and disbelief and then just crying,

tears, tears, lots of tears.

And it wasn't really until I saw the guys as I was being pulled left,

right and centre, I forgot there was a men's final after.

And I see one of my best friends and I'm like, oh, my God,

he's in the final.

And then I see him come out first and it like hit me.

And I was like, he, he's won.

And then I went up to him and I was like, I won, you won.

Like it was, yeah, one of those moments where it kind of hit me

for the first time that, yeah, I was Olympic champion.

How amazing.

I wanted to read, I saw an Instagram post of yours the other day

and I wanted to read the caption and, of course,

it's gone away because I left my phone locked for too long.

You said, left Australia in May to head to my Olympic qualification race

in Europe.

The dream was to qualify.

Today arrived back home with an Olympic gold medal around my neck.

It's crazy.

It's, yeah, like the way this year has turned out, it's just,

it's so amazing.

And I think like part of me just doesn't believe it's real because

it feels too good to be true.

But I, everything was like, it was all planned.

You know, there was a strategy in place.

We worked so hard for it.

But I think sometimes when the reward is so big for your hard work paying

off at the right time, it's just too much to like comprehend.

But I think, you know, I left Australia and it was very nerve-wracking

because already in the lead up to that departure,

I had to do all of the media stuff as if I had qualified.

And for me, that was very hard.

I had to do the, hi, my name's Noemi Fox and I'm an Olympian.

And I was like, oh, my God.

And I had to do all of those media interviews as if I had qualified.

And that was quite taxing because, and then everyone would be like,

you've got this, you'll be fine.

And I was like, you don't realise how hard that qualification race was.

And, you know, I used it as, oh, well, they believe in me.

That's great.

But it was really hard.

We went overseas having not had the best preparation because we didn't

have good training conditions.

We didn't have water time.

And it was a lot of uncertainty.

I didn't know what was happening for me in my year past that qualification date.

And then, yeah, I got to the qualification date and I was so ready.

I was so excited.

I think, you know, the two weeks leading in, I was very nervous.

But then when the few days came, I was more so excited and I was so ready to,

I felt like, and something that, yeah, I haven't felt in slalom before was like,

I'm ready to show off my level.

Like, I feel like I'm a favourite.

I've worked so hard.

Like, I feel really good.

I feel really good.

I feel really good.

I feel really ready to perform, essentially.

And it went so well.

I was so ready for that race.

I felt so much, like, good luck around me from a lot of people, which also, yeah,

really helped.

And then when I qualified, I wrote down kind of everything because I was like,

I don't want to feel like it's just a fluke, you know.

I need to, I'm very much someone that has to, like,

really work on the self-confidence level.

And so I really wrote down, like, okay, you know, the process, everything worked,

blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, to kind of cement the fact that, you know,

when you put your mind to something, when you work really hard, like,

you can achieve that because it felt like such a long shot.

It really did.

You know, just three spots, 50 competitors, world champion was there,

silver medalist at the world championships, European champion.

Like, it was a really tough field and a tough process.

And the first ever time that we were going through that.

So a lot of uncertainty, a lot of, yeah, I guess, you know,

no one knows how it's going to go.

But I really wanted to kind of prove to myself that it wasn't just luck, you know,

that you got there based on your own right.

You had the hardest selection process out of everyone.

You deserve to be there.

You deserve to be at the Olympics.

Oh, wow.

It's really cool.

Just on that self-confidence piece, can you touch on that?

Because I think people see Olympics.

They see Olympic gold medalists in particular and imagine that you kind of just have this

armor of being untouchable in a way.

But the fact that even that close to the Olympics, you were having to instill self-confidence.

Yeah, I think it's funny.

Like, I'm like, I'm an Olympic champion now.

And still I'll be like, I don't know if I can do that.

But, you know, I think for me, self-confidence has been so huge and such a big personal project

to work on because obviously I'm not the best.

I remember actually makes me think of we had the New South Wales Institute of Sport dinner

and there was a speech and it's like, you know, you start off by being the best in your

house and then the best in your street and then eventually the best in your school and

then the best in the state and then the best in the country.

And I was like, shoot, I'm still on level one.

I'm not even the best in my family.

So, yeah, I think that's played a big part because obviously there had never been for

me before Paris an Olympic.

Oh, my God.

And then I'd never been the best in my family and then the best in Australia.

I think when you're world number one in your country, that changes everything.

And with the results comes the confidence.

And when there was the Olympic opening, yeah, that changed a lot.

But obviously with uncertainty as well, you kind of sometimes it's hard to commit and

really believe in yourself.

And so for me, I have had to do a lot of work on, you know.

So kind of keeping with the facts, OK, these are my results, these what brings me confidence.

You know, it's knowing that I've practiced really hard.

It's knowing that, you know, I've showcased before.

And, you know, sometimes I'd be like, gosh, if there was like one of some of the guys

on my team, if they had my results, they'd be so confident.

And like, how come I still don't believe that I can get it, you know?

And so for the Olympic Games, I went in really kind of like reflecting on everything I'd done.

And sticking to, you know, the facts and really working through that.

And, you know, taking because the sessions, you know, 90 percent good, 10 percent bad.

But sometimes you think, oh, I can't do that.

But the reality is, you know, you've done you've done it before.

You've done it once and once is good enough.

And so, yeah, I think for me, what's really helped me is kind of writing everything down

and keeping to the facts and constantly, you know, reinforcing the good.

That's something that I kind of still have to do.

And.

And really did in the lead up to the games.

And, yeah, I guess really reinforcing the fact that I deserve to be there.

I think there was definitely a bit of imposter syndrome, you know, starting

entering the team quite late.

They were doing too.

It's like my brain was just finding ways to, you know, stick to the imposter syndrome.

I was just doing one category.

Some people were doing two like, you know, so.

And then I'm, yeah, I had to do like a lot of positive reinforcement to be like,

no, I had the hardest selection out of everyone.

I proved that I'm, you know, worth being here.

I've trained so hard.

I've won, you know, every single heat.

Like, you know, you can do this.

But, yeah, for me, it's definitely a constant work in progress.

And I think that stems from never having been the best in, you know, in the country or in

the bloody house.

At least I'm the best in, you know, my room because I don't share a bedroom.

But otherwise, but yeah, it's yeah.

Self-confidence, I think, for me now, hopefully it will bring a new level.

But yeah, I think a lot of athletes, you know, there's definitely that constant questioning

that comes in with our sport, especially, you know, it's not once, you know, it's not

like once you do a time, you know, you walk in the Olympics knowing you should finish,

you know, like top three.

You're constantly humbled by the whitewater and the waves.

So you have to really work on keeping that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Self-confidence and high because you need that to perform.

You need to believe in yourself above everything and definitely topped up the tank really well

to make sure that, you know, I knew that I could beat everyone.

I'd beaten everyone before.

And I think something, you know, my mum said was like, well, there's going to be three

people that, you know, get that quota.

Why not you?

If there's luck, why not for you?

You know, and yeah, the harder you work, the luckier you get essentially as well.

And that was definitely the mindset.

Going in.

A question I've been asking everyone on the podcast is what is your favourite failure?

Quite a lot.

I'd say probably the one that I like.

You have the one that's like favourite failure for like to laugh at.

The favourite failure that's like traumatic that you're like, oh my God, like, you know,

rolling in the middle of a race down a drop and then coming up and having missed six gates

and you're like, oh my God.

Oh my God.

TV, stop.

Stop looking at me.

I think my favourite failure that's like really been like a big turning point in my career

was the 2021, no, 2019 Junior World Championships, Under-23 World Championships.

And I did kayak and canoe.

And in my kayak run, I had a beautiful first run.

I came third and then my boat was underweight.

And I got disqualified and I had to redo a run.

And then I got a 50 second penalty in the second run.

So I was ruled out when I was a favourite for that event.

And that was a big shock.

And then the afternoon was the C1.

First run, out.

Went up to the start pool of the second run.

And a Slovenian girl, she was like, oh no, Amy, you have not had a good day.

And I was like, I have not had a good day.

But, you know, I thought to myself,

don't lose an opportunity.

Like it was a lot of like, you know, okay, you've still got one race.

You know, one race is a new page.

And I just made it through.

And then I thought, okay, you know what?

Everyone's through tomorrow.

It starts blank, no matter how traumatic your qualification has been.

And I ended up winning a medal, my first, like I said,

my first World Championship medal at that event.

And I think that was a key moment of like, no matter how, you know,

exhausted you are every single day is a new opportunity.

And that's really the approach you need in, in kayak cross.

It's like every round, no matter how hard it was to get through,

no matter who you're against, it's a fresh opportunity and you really have to seize it,

leave it behind and take the good, you know, move on.

So I'd say that was probably my most marking, um, failure because yeah,

that the start of that day, big red fail stamped on that sheet.

And then, you know, it was a happy, a happy ending for me.

So, um, a big pinnacle, like light bulb.

Kind of moment.

Yeah.

I love that to wrap us up, going back to another piece of social content,

cause I've just been loving them.

There's a pretty special video that you guys shared from 2004, 20 years ago at the Qantas hangar,

um, welcoming the Olympic team back home.

You guys were, how old would you have been?

Six, seven.

Yeah.

Six or seven.

And, and just 10, just 10.

Okay.

So 10 and seven ish.

And you've now.

Yeah.

Come back on the Qantas plane with gold medals around each of your necks.

It was very emotional.

Oh my goodness.

And I could even let myself just, and I think that's what the magic, that's the magic I see

of the Olympics.

Like I let myself get fully carried away in those sorts of stories because I was so lucky

to have kind of lived those Olympic moments in 2004 and, and realized how big it was.

Like Ian thought for me was a God, like he was the first person that I was like,

wow, like he's famous.

He's so good.

It kind of like my first celebrity crush and, um, and Adam Mears and Grant Hackett was very

swimmers based.

Um, and I had a book of signatures.

I was asking for photos.

Like we were going around.

Everywhere.

We spent hours there until they, you know, all left.

Um, and I still have the signature book.

I have to dig deep and find it.

Um, but we filled it up with all the signatures possible.

And, um, that's why when, you know, I knew that I could get on the chart, I was like,

oh my gosh, you have to do that.

That's such a full circle moment.

And to walk down the stairs, it's kind of, I went into self-preservation mode of like,

not cold, but I was like, if I don't go into self-preservation mode, I'm going to be a

blubbering mess.

So, um, it was very like internally, it was very emotional and like a full circle moment.

Um, and then I was like the last one to leave.

Cause I just couldn't say no to everyone that was coming up.

I was like, oh my God.

Yeah.

Like, no, let me sign your kangaroo.

Let me sign your, you know, your poster.

Um, because it was just so symbolic, um, and still kind of like hard to grasp that.

Wow.

That's me that, you know, they're asking to get the photos of that's me that, you know,

they're touching my gold medal.

Um, so yeah, that was such a special pinch me moment, but you know, I think another moment

was just thinking how lucky we have been to have that Olympic movement kind of guide our

whole lives and, and.

You know, inspire us to, to work hard and to dream big and to, to think, and to hope

that, yeah, one day that could happen to us, because I think it just sets us up for such

a beautiful life of obviously hard moments in sport.

But then when you kind of live those huge moments, you think like, wow, I'm one of the

lucky ones.

And yeah, it's, it's so, it's so incredible.

A huge, huge congratulations again.

So proud of you so well.

Deserved.

And I was honestly yelling very, very loud at my television as were many, many Australians

across the country on the other side of the world.

And yeah, you just, yeah, it's such a huge achievement and we are also incredibly proud

of you and thank you so much for your time today.

Thanks for having me.

Thanks so much for listening.

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