Interviewer: What’s going on in your life apart from sport?
Noemie Fox: Nothing much, I am looking forward to paddling in Antarctica.
This conversation between Noemie Fox and the International Canoe Federation is not verbatim, but it is the truth.
As an Olympic champion, she has enjoyed a glamorous 2024, with multiple opportunities away from the water.
For her sister Jessica Fox, also an Olympic champion, life was no different as the world celebrated the power duo.
With the next big stage being the 2025 ICF Slalom World Championships, Australia will miss the talents of Jessica Fox, who has decided to sit out as she recovers from surgery.
But the sensational athletes did not shy away from discussing life outside sport during the season.
Brand building, media opportunities, and sponsorships are as much a part of a high-performance athlete’s life as training and sport are.
For Noemie Fox, it is taking her where only a few living beings on the planet can dream of.
Soon after Penrith, the kayak cross star will be posting selfies from the pristine icy landscape of Antarctica, watching the migration of humpback whales, and, of course, going paddling.
The expedition will also see Noemie Fox share her Olympic journey and create memories for a lifetime.
“I am extremely excited to go to Antarctica with Intrepid Travel. I just love travelling and am grateful for the way sport has helped me discover different locations, always centred around rivers and natural areas. It is something that I can hope to do for a long time,” she said.
“I am grateful for the lifestyle that this sport has brought me. I am extremely excited to be venturing to a location I have never been to before. It is such an untouched part of the world. To go on this expedition where we learn from polar experts and see all the whales migrating.
“There is a very big focus on whale conservation as well. I am incredibly excited, starting to do cold plunges and things like that. I am definitely more of a warm-blooded person. I think I will struggle, but I am excited to do things like that outside of sport and start living a normal life of doing exciting things outside of sport and have balance.”
But just as for any elite competition, a trip like this, where extreme weather and conditions are expected, has its own preparations.
While she announced her plans in May, Noemie Fox also gave an insight into what it takes to go on an adventure like this and juggle competitions.
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“I think there is going to be a lot of mental preparation for Antarctica to be in that cold environment. At that period, I will also be preparing for the start of the World Cup season. I will still be doing some gym and things like that while on the boat,” she added.
“We are also going kayaking. So, I am definitely excited for that. I think this would be one of those enjoyment opportunities that come from the Olympic Games and my sponsor, Intrepid Travel. It will be just about enjoying. I am also excited to have a well-earned holiday.”
As Noemie Fox prepares to tackle the wild, Jessica Fox discussed some of her outside-sport activities, including conquering the ramp and hosting a morning show.
At the first tennis Grand Slam of the season at the Australian Open, she showed that a post-athletic media career is possible.
“Paris was an incredible experience, a lifelong dream, but then the whirlwind afterwards was quite intense, quite chaotic. There were some incredible opportunities that came up for me, and I seized them and said yes to a lot of things,” Jessica Fox said.
“A big one for me was getting experience in media, and I was doing the morning show with Channel 9. So, 5:30 AM on air for a week, which was awesome, and then I went to the Australian Open for the tennis to work with the broadcast team there.
“So yeah, the media side was really enjoyable, and then I did a lot of work with my sponsors, lots of different shoots and events, and PR. It was great fun and a little bit chaotic, but I enjoyed it.”
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However, Jessica Fox also pointed out that it is not something sustainable as long as she intends to remain at the top of slalom.
Despite missing out on Penrith, Fox still did win canoe gold medals and kayak cross podiums at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup earlier in the season.
“I think it was a fine balance between having enough time to train and then saying yes to everything, but I think that was the period to do it. After the Games, I had a bit of a break where I did all of that and still tried to sort of stay fit and active and in touch on the water, and it became almost more enjoyable when I was on the water because it was playful and fun.
“I think it's not something that's sustainable for me to be able to work full-time in media and train, but it was a little snippet and a little part of my life that was really fun.”
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