Noemie Fox in action in the Kayak Cross – photo courtesy of Paddle Photography / Paddle Australia
Noemie Fox will make her Olympic debut in Paris, with the 27-year-old selected by the Australian Olympic Committee to contest the new discipline of Kayak Cross.
Noemie will join sister Jess Fox OAM, mother Myriam and father Richard Fox MBE as canoe slalom Olympians.
Noemie’s selection comes after she secured a quota for Australia in the Kayak Cross by winning silver at the Global Qualification event in Prague in June.
Athletes contesting the K1 and C1 in Paris are also eligible for the kayak cross event, meaning Noemie and Jess Fox will join the ranks of Australian Olympic sisters to compete in the same event – just the fifth set of Australian sisters selected to contest the same individual event at an Olympic Games.
Born in Marseille, France, Noemie is currently in France finalising her Paris 2024 preparations.
“It’s still hard to find the right words to describe how special this feels,” she said. “For so long the Olympics felt very unattainable, as we only have one spot per category in our sport and well – the Greatest of All Time has been a bit of a barrier to entry!
“With an extra three global quotas available in the Kayak Cross for Paris 2024, I had a small opening to go to my first Olympic Games and chased the dream down hard, no matter how slim and unattainable it felt. As an athlete, these are the moments you dream about, crossing the line first, and all your hard work paying off at that perfect time – and for me that’s exactly what happened in Prague.
“I’m so honoured, proud and grateful to be joining my teammates Tim Anderson, Tristan Carter and my sister Jess Fox on the Australian Olympic Team. We really seized every single opportunity to try to make that Olympic dream come true so to execute the plan is truly the most special win for me, my family and my team – and one that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
“Competing in France feels like a full circle moment. In Sydney 2000 we had recently moved from France so I was cheering with French and Australian flags in my new home. Now I’ll be wearing the green and gold in France and it will definitely feel like a home Olympics in some ways.
“I’m now the final piece of the puzzle joining my family of Olympians! The Olympic Spirit is something that has been ingrained in my upbringing since the start – growing up in the aftermath of the Sydney 2000 Olympics idolising Ian Thorpe, Susie O’Neil and Cathy Freeman. I still have the book of signatures from athletes including Anna Meares and Jodie Henry from the Welcome Home Ceremonies in 2004 and 2008 at Sydney Airport.
“I then experienced London and Rio in the stands watching my sister win silver and bronze. In Tokyo I worked for the Organising Committee as the English announcer for Canoe Sprint. It’s so special to be taking part of the Olympic Games as an athlete this time round.”
