If this is the first time we’ve met, my name is George and I’m TDA’s Sport Journalist. I write a daily sport newsletter, but today I’m taking a step back from the daily news cycle to share a chat I had earlier this week with Olympic champion Noémie Fox.

Noémie Fox probably doesn’t need any introduction. Her gold medal win at last year’s Olympics in the kayak cross is imprinted in Australia’s collective memory. The image of Noémie and Jess embracing after both winning gold made its way into our hearts and the history books. Their success meant they became the first Australian siblings to win individual gold at the same Olympic Games.

Now, almost one year since that gold medal win, I sat down with Noémie to reflect on the past year, her relationship with Jess, and what lies ahead as she prepares for the world championships in Sydney this September. Here’s my chat with Olympic gold medalist Noémie Fox.

George: Noémie Fox, thank you for joining TDA. The anniversary of your Olympic gold medal is coming up on 5 August. How's the last year been for you?

Noémie: It has been a bit of a whirlwind. On one hand, it feels like it's been 10 years, and on the other hand, it feels like it was yesterday.

George: Has your life changed dramatically since you became an Olympic champion? Have things stayed the same?

Noémie: You go from being a nobody to suddenly having a bit of a hero status and being an idol for young kids. But I'm still in my little Penrith apartment, doing the same sport. Canoe slalom, in particular, has this way of humbling you.

George: A couple of weeks ago, ahead of The Open, the world’s number one golfer, Scottie Scheffler, was talking about moments where you become a champion. He said: “You win it, you celebrate. It's an amazing moment. Then it's like, okay, what are we gonna eat for dinner? Life goes on. It feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for a few minutes.” Can you relate to that feeling at all?

Noémie: A hundred per cent. I think that's extremely well said and very realistic. People often talk about the Olympic blues, and you think, ‘Well, I'm on cloud nine, I can’t have a come-down after this.’ But there is this sense of pouring your heart and soul into this one day on a four-year cycle. And then, when that's done, you're left with this, ‘Oh, well, what now?’ So, it's important to keep setting and having intentions. I'm lucky that I love my sport. There's always something to learn, and that's made it easier to want to continue.

George: The world champs are on home soil in Sydney later this year. Does it add a bit more pressure, or is it more exciting?

Noémie: A bit of both. It will be my first time competing at a major event as a favourite, and that's completely different for me. Normally, I'm the underdog. Naturally, people will want to see the Australians winning and collecting the medals, and I think at our best, we're the world's best.

George: Turning now to your relationship with Jess [Noémie’s sister is Aussie canoeist Jess Fox], you're competing in a lot of the same events together. Does that change your relationship on race day?

Noémie: A lot of people would imagine that we have a strained relationship when it's two sisters going for the one dream. The reality is nothing brings you closer in life than sharing those high emotions and heartbreak emotions. We shared the most magical experience in Paris that couldn't have been scripted better.

George: You talk about how now there's pressure in being a defending champion. Was there a pressure lifted off when you won gold? Was there pressure of being a Fox?

Noémie: I think once I had qualified a hundred per cent, I felt like the weight had completely lifted off my shoulders. I spent my whole childhood and adolescence growing up thinking, I'm never gonna make it. What did I miss in the genes?

George: Outside canoe slalom, what do you like to do when you're not on the water or in the gym? How do you take your mind off sport?

Noémie: I love being in the bush and getting coffee in the cute little villages in the Blue Mountains. I also love travelling when I can. I was born in France, and so every opportunity that I get, I love going there.

George: To finish, I've just got a few rapid-fire questions for you. Who was your sporting idol growing up?

Noémie: Ian Thorpe, the first love of my life.

George: What Olympic sport would you be doing if you weren't doing canoe slalom?

Noémie: Pole vaulting because it looks amazing. And I’m a big fan of Nina Kennedy.

George: What about if you weren't a sports person at all?

Noémie: Having a rescue farm or being an animal vet.

George: How often do you look at or physically hold your medal?

Noémie: I don't just wake up and admire it, but when I'm having a low day, I'll whip it out to boost the ego for sure.

Chatting with Noémie was a reminder that even something like Olympic gold doesn’t shield you from the vulnerabilities we face as humans. Noémie seems like an overnight success, but the reality is that she made her senior international debut in 2015.

That’s nine years of competing at the sport’s highest level before she became an Olympic champion. As she mentioned in the interview, those years saw plenty of doubt and trepidation alongside the good times. I loved how honest Noémie was about the ‘post-Olympic blues, a topic I want to know more about, and the reality of getting back to training after Olympic glory.

They say never meet your heroes, but Noémie is an exception to that rule. I can’t wait to see how she and the rest of the Australian team fare at the world championships in Sydney in September.

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