Noemie Fox: Gold Medalist, Sister, Superstar

In a reality TV-obsessed world, sport remains the most authentic drama we have — and this week’s guest has lived every kind of storyline: family legacy, fierce rivalry, and Olympic glory.

Fresh off her gold medal win in kayak cross at the Paris Olympics, Noemie Fox joins us for a ride down memory lane. Born into Australia’s royal family of paddling, Noemie was raised on the river and destined for greatness — but competing alongside her sister, the legendary Jess Fox, made the journey as complex as it was powerful.

 

Harvey Norman love sport. Supporting Australian athletes at all levels, from grassroots to the world stage for over thirty years. Shop in store or online for the best brands, range and prices.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Here at two Good Sports, we would like to acknowledge
the traditional owners of the land on which we record
this podcast.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
This land was never seated, always was always will.

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Be Hello, Hello, Hello, dear listeners, and won sure I
shall how remiss of me?

Speaker 3 (00:23):
Okay, that's where I am. The only thing that I
can do is say the hall Mary. But we've discussed
this before because I went to a very Catholic high school.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
But that is a really weird.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Way of starting an intro to what is already one
of my favorite episodes Georgia. And usually we tease who
the guest is, but I don't care. We've already had
an o Amy Fox day on this podcast where she
didn't feature.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
Today we're one upping it and she's our special guest.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
She's here, she's here, and dear listeners, just so you know,
do not worry.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
I am checking Jelmy's pulse. I'm checking it.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
If at any point she looks like she's gonna faint,
I'll catch her. Or hell, why doesn't know?

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Amy? Maybe catch her.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
Well, let's tell this story while she's not on the line,
so that this doesn't get really awkward. But we were
at a schmancy event for the F one. It was
a watch brand mention it tag tag tag because I
would love to be invited again.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Hi, Yesoyet always been my favorite.

Speaker 3 (01:25):
Christian Horner was there like it was oh my god,
it was like Channing Tatum was there. I mean, I
got to this is the only time I get to
name drop because usually it's you been like oh me
and Tom in Japan.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
There are layers to this, still listener, because Jelmy and
My our canon like bonding event, was going to see
Magic Mike. So for Channing Tatum to be at an
event with Jelmy our song and will tell anyone who
dares ask or doesn't even want to know, is Pony
by January?

Speaker 3 (01:52):
Obviously that's when I think I must find Georgie in
a room.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
So Channing Tatum means a lot to us, way too much.

Speaker 3 (01:59):
And so it was a really it was actually a
small event, which you can imagine when they've got that
level of celebrity. There was sort of a lockdown, and
so we ended up in the basement and then Peaking
Ducker playing and Channing Tatum's dancing, and I'm just like,
how much to play Pony?

Speaker 1 (02:16):
You began that person you're there with like, guys, do
you know Mike's here?

Speaker 2 (02:24):
Anyway?

Speaker 3 (02:25):
That was way too much name dropping for this early
But what I will say is the crowd parted and
I saw Noemi across the room, and instead of playing cool,
I walked up and said, Hi, I love you. And
I'm sure she was like, this isn't where I parked
my car. And I was like, oh, this is really strange,
Like hi, and yeah, she said that she remembered listening
to the app, and so I was like, cool, welcome

(02:46):
to the Bermuda triangle of You're not getting.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Rid of us? Yes, yes, and you will eventually come
on an EP Dare.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
I say, a genuine good sports, a genuine good sport,
a genuine fan of this podcast. We are so excited
to have o second official no Amy Day coming up
for you. Everyone, get excited before we get there, though,
Good sport, bad sport. Jeremy, I'm gonna kick things off.
I'm gonna kick things off with a good sport. And

(03:13):
I think it's.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
This man may have.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
Held this press conference just for us. It's not often
that I talk about golfers for the words that they.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
Say, or at all or at.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
All or at all, But Scottish Cheffler, I'll tell you
what one of ours, you and me, sir Wicked be friends.
At the end of the day.

Speaker 4 (03:37):
It's like, I'm not out here to inspire the next
generation of golfers. I don't I'm not here to inspire
somebody else to be the best player in the world,
because what's the point? You know, this is not a
fulfilling life. It's it's fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment,
but it's not fulfilling from a sense of like the deepest,
you know, places of your heart. You know, there's a
lot of people that make it to what they thought

(03:59):
was going to fore fill them in life, and then
you get there, and all of a sudden you get
to number one in the world, and they're like, what's
the point?

Speaker 2 (04:05):
What is the point? What is the meaning of life?

Speaker 3 (04:08):
Scottie, I love this because that his pros about this
goes for about five minutes and the spiral just continues.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Digs he digs down, he digs down, just like, you know,
this is what I've wanted to achieve my whole life.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
And then all of a sudden you win the Major
and it's cool, and then ten minutes later you're like,
what's for dinner? Like like things just move on so quickly,
and it just made me think like, oh, he could
be one of ours, because we do this all the time.
We're so lucky that we've literally worked in the jobs
that when we were at I was gonna say journalism school, university, yes,

(04:43):
thinking one day we'd get to potentially work on the project.

Speaker 5 (04:46):
One day, I'd love to host an Olympics. And then
you do it and you're like, ah, like.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
What comes next?

Speaker 3 (04:52):
Like if that didn't make me a better person or
fulfill it or scratch, like what what now?

Speaker 6 (04:57):
Well?

Speaker 1 (04:58):
Where also I would say tear And as type a personalities,
it's really hard for us to hear that. But we're
terrible at celebrating winds, at staying in the moment and not,
you know, not looking for the next hamster wheel, to
be honest, because as soon as we get in achievement,
we're like, right, what's next.

Speaker 2 (05:14):
Instead of being like, hang on a second.

Speaker 3 (05:16):
I would say you so more than me. I would
just like to say I think I do bathe in
my own glory a little bit longer than you.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
I have to remind you.

Speaker 3 (05:25):
Sometimes you're like oh, I should be doing more on
like do you need me to put down the shopping
list of things that you're doing this week?

Speaker 1 (05:32):
Or you're good, Like I said Scheffler and myself, we
might be sole siblings, sole siblings potentially. I was watching
this grab and I saved it for us to talk
about on this podcast, and then I go to my
DMS and you'd already sent it to me, and I
was like, this is the most perfect good sport for
this episode, because I think we can get carried away

(05:55):
with our top top athletes, and we think that they
have these dream lives and we think that they've got
it figured out, as we will say till we are
red in the face.

Speaker 2 (06:03):
They're human.

Speaker 3 (06:04):
And also sometimes you get there and the thing that
you think will be the solve for every problem you've
had in your life, it just never is. Yes, it
never is. And the true joy comes from little moments.
Not that, don't be wrong. It's absolutely euphoric, but it's
always fleeting. The only constant thing is nothing's constant.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
What I will say though, for Scotti Scheffler is that
at least when he is digging down into the depths
of this existential crisis, of his he actually might strike
one hundred million dollars, which is American.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
Which is his net worth.

Speaker 1 (06:39):
So as a soul sibling, maybe can I ask for alone, Babe?

Speaker 6 (06:43):
Alone a lot.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
Easier to be existentially one of your eight homes? Like
why do I do it? Why? Why did I do this?

Speaker 1 (06:51):
Looking out of this beautiful window? Yes, the glass was
five hundred thousand dollars.

Speaker 2 (06:56):
What is next? Listeners?

Speaker 3 (06:59):
George looking into renovation prices and anyone who's done that
knows why all of a sudden you're like, yes, that's
what that room's worth, because now I know who are they,
and you all shakes your life. But speaking of affluence, yes, unnecessarily, yes,
there is speaking of Instagram and things that we want

(07:19):
to send to each other, and I deliberately didn't because
you would have known what this is. People who love sport,
people who love fashion, and in the middle of this
Venn diagram is people being obsessed with Wimbledon.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
It's me, Hi, I'm the problem.

Speaker 3 (07:34):
It's me because oh my god, is this my area?
People dressing like they're at the Ralph Lauren Country Oh yeah,
at the Ralph Lauren Country Club. Don't say that too quickly.
That's dangerous, divine.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
I love it.

Speaker 3 (07:49):
I'm also all about the Royals. I'm all about the
fact that I left Louis at home because he's a shit.

Speaker 2 (07:53):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (07:53):
Yes, I'm all for the fact that our Princess beck
Hewitt was also in your.

Speaker 2 (07:58):
Stay behind behind the Royals final Yes. Directly behind the
Royals is beck and Leyton Hewett.

Speaker 1 (08:05):
Yeah, and directly behind them my other boyfriend Paul Meskal
and Andrew Scott. I'm sorry, why was anyone no offense?
Yannick and Carlos? Why was anyone watching the game turn around?
I would have been like, hello, sirs, how are you like?

Speaker 5 (08:21):
It was?

Speaker 1 (08:23):
It's the greatest, It's the greatest pinnacle of events for us.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
It's met Gala. It is the Metcala, the new met Gala.
It's more exclusive than the Met Gala. It is it
is Oh my god, can you imagine getting a ticket
to that?

Speaker 3 (08:35):
And now I believe that the OZ, opened by association
and by the level of celebrity that we've seen recently,
is the most exclusive sporting event in this country.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
I agree with you. I agree with you.

Speaker 5 (08:48):
It's hit a different pinnacle. If one's getting there, one's cool.

Speaker 3 (08:52):
Ones like especially with the trend and the branding around
Drive to Survive.

Speaker 5 (08:57):
But I just think OZ Open hits a whole new level.

Speaker 1 (08:59):
Well Open as well, which we've talked about before, is
kind of like a festival now. So even if you
can't get.

Speaker 2 (09:05):
There's marquees like what used to beat the Melbourne.

Speaker 1 (09:07):
Car exactly, And if you can't get the incredible tickets
at rod Labor, you can still see legitimate high profile
tennis players playing on court sixteen.

Speaker 2 (09:16):
Yeah, you know.

Speaker 1 (09:17):
So I would agree with you in saying it is
still just above F one because you have slightly greater
access to your heroes than you do Lando Norris F
one track when you you said, no, you give me
Justin Martin.

Speaker 2 (09:32):
Have you seen Brad.

Speaker 3 (09:34):
Pitt go around in the McLaren No, Brad Pitt, who
we won't talk about the problematic press tool that he's
going on.

Speaker 5 (09:40):
We're just glaze over the fact I'm in love with him.
It doesn't matter what he does.

Speaker 3 (09:45):
Basically, they let him get in a current McLaren car
and do a hot lap and Brad Pitt's there have
been like there's many perks in my job, this is
definitely right up there being one of them.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
Jesus, what's the insurance?

Speaker 3 (09:57):
I don't know, but Lando's they have been like hate Flando,
please don't yeah exactly, He's like, up until now, I
was the Brad pit of at least Team Papaya.

Speaker 2 (10:09):
If you could just it's like, yeah, that's cool. Do
you have dimples, Brad last, I may check you get it.

Speaker 3 (10:14):
I already have to compete with charl Leclair for half thropping.

Speaker 2 (10:19):
Now, Brad pits here, I mean bullshit.

Speaker 1 (10:22):
I love Lando, I love Lando, but until you learn
another twenty eight languages and can play piano, sir, I
don't know no.

Speaker 5 (10:27):
One's and you have a tiny dog that comes with
you everywhere.

Speaker 1 (10:29):
The sausage that's so beautiful, so beautiful, Oh my god, God.

Speaker 2 (10:33):
We're so international today.

Speaker 3 (10:37):
And on that please welcome our guests, of which nowhere.

Speaker 1 (10:40):
May in a reality TV obsessed world. We often argue
on this very podcast that sport is the purest kind.

(11:01):
Where else can you find that potently dramatic combination of love, pressure, expectation, success, failure,
and of course rivalry. Indeed, I've rarely seen my co
host as riled up as twenty four year old Jealmy
screaming at the television and at Sam Frost for not
choosing Richie in The Bachelorette twenty fifteen edition. But one

(11:22):
such time was the Paris Olympics, when after a blistering,
history making paddling performance, Jelmy proudly.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
Declared that she was changing her name to Fox. No
Amy Fox.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
Born into a prophetic paddling family, no Amy pretty much
had winning embedded in her DNA. But belonging to such
a high profile, high achieving family can of course make
carving your own path, cementing your own identity tricky, especially
when your.

Speaker 2 (11:51):
Biggest supporter is also your biggest rival.

Speaker 1 (11:54):
Our guest today is unique because she's had both a
front seat and been in the front seat of such
exquisite reality. It's one thing to go toe to toe
with the world and win. It's a whole other to
go paddle to paddle with the world and your sister
and win. No Amy not only one gold in the
inaugural kayak cross in the Paris Olympics, her and Jess
at one time were number sixteen on the overall world

(12:18):
medal tally and I am thrilled that you, dear listeners
and hell finally, Jelly and myself are being brought into
the family. Olympic gold medalist and potentially one of the
future stars of Keeping Up with the Foxes.

Speaker 2 (12:29):
Please wake to two.

Speaker 6 (12:31):
God, what an intro. I think that's the best intro
I've ever ever had.

Speaker 1 (12:40):
I mean, if I had a trumpet and I could
play it, I would bloody blow it for you. No, Amy,
we are so thrilled to have you on this podcast
to just have a chat with us.

Speaker 2 (12:51):
It's exceptional.

Speaker 6 (12:55):
Well, I'm equally as excited to be on here. And
I remember after the things, kind of when things come down,
I started to listen to like media or read articles
that were like about me and about the games, because
obviously we're in a little bubble. And I remember that
episode when Abba you talked about changing your name and
just talking about my journey and talking about it so

(13:17):
well as if you know, I had already spoken to
you about it, and it was just one of those
moments where I think, oh wow, like people know about it,
and people you know, were cheering for me, and you
know it resonates with them to some extent or it
was their highlight of the games, and I think that
was just such a pinch me moment. So yeah, thanks
for that episode from back in the day.

Speaker 3 (13:39):
Not only were you our favorite moment from the Games,
there was no one else on the podium. Now it
was you daylight and then everything else. And I remember
that morning coming in and getting to celebrate. But more
the point, how much Kayak Cross just stole our hearts.
Oh my god, and that event and how wild it is.
And Georgie is particularly preoccupied with the drop in.

Speaker 1 (13:57):
Oh my god, I've lost years of my life thinking
about this, like how do you compose yourself?

Speaker 2 (14:06):
Like what is the feeling when you drop?

Speaker 6 (14:09):
So that drop in Paris is five and a half meters,
so it's the highest spelt that we have on the circuit.
But in a weird way, like the higher the drop,
the better it is, and the better the landing is.
And it is really unique, like that feeling of being
on the start line and you know you've got your
biggest competitors next year. You can hear them like sniffle,

(14:30):
you can hear them like breathe out or do their
like pre race whatever they do, you know, and then
you can see the crowd and like it's such a
in Paris, it was like such a especially for the final,
like a hard thing to to not close yourself out completely,
like to take it in, soak it up and realize
that you know, this is the Olympic Final, but also
to not get so stressed by you know, the height

(14:52):
and everything. But I have to say, for me, like
that ramp has been the best thing about the Olympic
Games because it means that when it dropped, it was
like starting with this adrenaline sprint and this adrenaline rush
and just trying to get out as fast as I could.
And so like compared to say slalom, where you're in
the start blocks and then you hear the beep and
then it's time to go and you have like six

(15:14):
meters to kind of go before the start beam, kite
cross is like when when it drops and you land,
it's like you've got to go for it. And so
it really sets the tones for that. You know, I
don't want to say kill or be killed, but that's
it is it.

Speaker 2 (15:30):
You're just doesn't kill yourself.

Speaker 1 (15:33):
You're describing the corner kopia in Hunger Games from me, like,
this is one hundred percent what is going through my mind.
It's like, okay, here we go and bam like, oh,
I can't think anything more.

Speaker 5 (15:42):
Terrified, and we just genuinely fell in love with it.

Speaker 3 (15:44):
But as you said, there's something so unique about the
kayak Cross and even the way that you qualify for
it and get your way through the final. There's so
many hurdles and so many just split moments that can
mean that you can be the best in the world
at it, but if it's not your competition and things
just don't go your way, sometimes times the best of
the best don't even make it to the deciders. And
for that to be your moment, and we spoke so

(16:07):
passionately about your qualification because of course, up until Paris
there was only very limited and by limited would mean
one spot available in each event for qualification, which was
up until that point taken by Jess, And we just
knew that this was your moment and how long you'd
waited for that moment, but also that you'd had to
battle algal blooms in the qualification to even get there.

(16:30):
Like I think everyone talks about the rivalry and how
and we're like, yeah, yeah, cool. There was no course
that you could even practice on the lead up to
the qualification, right because the only facility we have in
Penrith was contaminated.

Speaker 6 (16:42):
Oh gosh, I know. So when you say like there's
lots of roadblocks, it felt like the world was against me.
It felt like I would never make it to the Olympics,
as there'd be like a little opening and then it would,
you know, there'd be some sort of roadblock that would
be like, oh no, you just not for you, not today.
So I think it really kind of just changed the
whole way I approached things and roadblocks and challenges and

(17:04):
always trying to see what good can come from it.
And it was hard to see the silver lining for
the algae bloom because you know, our course and facility
was shut down. But what that did mean was that
I could go over to Europe with the Olympic team
for three weeks and do a training camp there. Then

(17:24):
we came back and still no water due to the
blue green algae, which is apparently like highly toxic or whatever.
I've probably swallowed so much of it across my lifetime
and I'm still here. But you know, I would kind
of twist the narrative and think, well, I'll do a
lot of flatwater, I'll do a lot of gym and

(17:45):
I'll have the fastest flatwater sprint and really just trying
to kind of twist the situations. And same thing with
the qualification. You know, three spots up for grabs in
one race, a global qualification. Some countries had three athletes,
so that's three extra shots that qualifying. For me, it
was just me a one hit one, like a one day,
one shot type of situation, highly stressful, and you know

(18:09):
it was it was just thinking, okay, well I've prepared
well and really just this whole trying to see that
the door is still open and not focus on how
hard it is or or that the odds are against me,
and and that you know, the world champions actually doing
that event, even though she's doing the World Championship the
Olympics and already qualified. There were all.

Speaker 3 (18:27):
These like little traps and donnecessary things.

Speaker 6 (18:30):
Yeah, but I think, yeah, working with my psychologist to
like reframe situations and really just try to focus on
what I could control was the biggest game changer. But
you know, one of the things one of my friends
said to me afterwards was, are you going to have
to go through that fed up qualification race now that
you're Olympic champion for the next one, and I was like,

(18:51):
you know, I hope I don't have to do that,
even though I don't really you know, prepare me in
the best possible way, but you know, I just don't
wish that upon my.

Speaker 1 (19:01):
Well, by looking always looking for the silver linings, you
found the gold lining. Like you what was that moment
like when you knew that gold was yours?

Speaker 6 (19:14):
I didn't really, Like I think, like Abby kind of mentioned,
you know, you could get knocked out so quickly, and
so it's like really focusing on every step. So every heat,
getting through top two, every then the semi final, getting
through top two, and in the final. You know, I
had won every single qualification brace that I had done.

(19:34):
I had worn the red bib, which is the bib
that makes you choose your lane and the fastest lane
on the air, and yet I still didn't think I'm
going to win. Not to say that I didn't think
I could do it, because I had done a lot
of work on knowing that I had betten every single
girl that was going to be out there. I had
prepared so well that if they were going to be metals,
why not, you know, for me? But it was more

(19:57):
so the sense that being so processed, driven and like
not focusing on the outcome, which is something that I
do so often in every aspect of my life, but
you know, not for Paris. And it wasn't until I
did that last upstream and just got out.

Speaker 3 (20:11):
Which was iconically you know, Amy like you still pulled
out some like Yeah, the move that you pulled off
was so difficult, and to pull that off in such
a high pressure moment when she was still potentially coming
for you, but you'd had to lead the whole way.
And I just went like, I think everyone has spent
Oh my god, she's actually done it. And I think
you said your dad has a special name for the
move that you pulled off.

Speaker 6 (20:34):
Oh, I think I've mentioned this before, like the up
of the century. He used to always say, I'm doing
that up with the century out of cattle, and so
he I remember, actually did coin that for me, and
it is the upstream of the century. It's the upstream
of my life. And I think for me, like it
encapsulates that Olympic like moment for me being so fearless,

(20:55):
being so focused and just like unbreakable is what it
felt like. And now I've watched that or I know
that I did that, and I just think wow, like
I was, It's just amazing what you can do and
you're fully focused and you fully believe in yourself, and
especially in front of someone like Yeah, Kimberly Wood's raigning
world champion, one of the biggest pioneers in our sport

(21:16):
for ki cross and I don't want to say the
scariest one on the circuit, but you know, she makes
me nervous, so to do that in front of her
was huge for me. And I think just such a
after all of those rounds as well, like under fatigue,
under high pressure. I think it's something that I'm just
so proud of for being that like in my race
and so fearless in that sense. And so when I

(21:38):
had the gate and I knew that I flicked it
out and was coming out first, that was when it
was just like this, like shut up of just wow,
we did it. And it didn't really hit until the
podium because I was under so much adrenaline, and then
the few days after that as well, because yeah, it
takes a lot to kind of process that you won

(21:58):
the Olympic Games already just thinking like wow, I'm here,
Like wow, I'm in the final and then just letting
yourself realize and letting that sink in. It definitely takes
a lot of time, but it's the most incredible feeling,
and I wish I could just you know, I've got
it bottled up, and from time to time I let
myself kind of you know, when I'm having low days,

(22:19):
I'm like.

Speaker 2 (22:20):
You know us too. Every now and then we just
think about it and we need to live well on that.
Do you watch Have you watched the race again?

Speaker 1 (22:26):
I say this now aiming as someone who has watched
Queensland's origin victory.

Speaker 2 (22:31):
Come on, then you're talking to a pan.

Speaker 1 (22:34):
I know, I understand, but I've watched it twice since
it actually was live to air.

Speaker 2 (22:39):
So do you let your so emotional support game it is?

Speaker 1 (22:43):
It is? Do you let yourself be like I think,
I'm just gonna watch it again.

Speaker 2 (22:47):
Let's let's watch me when gold.

Speaker 6 (22:49):
So after the games, it probably took like two months.
I remember my my nan watching it because she doesn't
watch live. She cannot watch live. She couldn't even watch
my mum race life. She gets so nervous, but then
once she knows the results she can watch it. So
I remember kind of like briefly watching it with my
with my nan which was and then you know, with

(23:11):
the whole family. We watched it at Christmas as well
with my partner's family when we went skiing with them.
But I've only like really concentrated and like watched it.
I'd say one was for a replay for the Dotter Ward.
We did an interview in the lead up and that
was quite emotional doing watching it then. And then I've

(23:32):
done a lot of you know, keynotes or school talks
where I'll play it. But it's funny, I have completely
detached myself from it, Like I don't let myself really
watch it because otherwise it just there's a lot of
emotion in it. I think for me, there's a lot
of like whoa, it's surreal, you know, to see myself
do that on the front on the world stage and

(23:52):
the music behind it with the Channel nine editor that
they do. But yeah, so I've watched a few times,
but like I've watched in total, probably quite a lot
that really detached to stay professional and to still bespeaking.

Speaker 3 (24:06):
Same well, speaking of detaching and staying professional, one of
the great joys in not only your sport but Australian sport.
Is listening to your dad commentations when his girls are
competing and there are there is so some of his
pregnant pauses are so loud because you can just hear
the fatherhood and the gulps and and oh my gosh,

(24:28):
she's doing it and the emotion like, oh my god.

Speaker 2 (24:30):
Richard's just an icon.

Speaker 3 (24:33):
But it is so rare to have your entire family
so entrenched in this sport and the scenes when you won,
when everyone's in, Mom's in Jess and dad's in commentary,
he's running, Dave Convit's like, go, go, go join and
be part of it. Like is at those moments, like
do you have those photos around the house, Like what
do you do as a family?

Speaker 2 (24:52):
Do you print them? Like how do you reflect on that?

Speaker 6 (24:56):
Yeah, they're a bit everywhere, but you also don't want
to just make your living based a shrine for the Olympics.
But it's hard not to have them and to have those,
you know, reminders. I you know, I'm looking at one.
There's like a frame that we got for Paddle Australia
for the Olympics and yeah, I've got a big photo
of that moment up there. Just in my eyesight. So

(25:18):
it is a bit everywhere, and it's hard not to
want to have it everywhere because it's the most like,
it's the most surreal thing ever and it's the most
magical moment and you couldn't have scripted it better. I
think same dad. He wanted to be involved in a
way that wasn't just in the crowd, because one he
would get too nervous, and two, you know, he he

(25:39):
knows he can be useful, and he also wants to
kind of like let us do our thing, but you know,
keep himself busy, and he loves Dave and he loves commentary.
So for the finals, he was a bit quiet because
I think it's.

Speaker 5 (25:53):
Like, this is all me.

Speaker 2 (25:55):
No one wants to hear from me.

Speaker 6 (25:56):
Sure, He's like, they're going to do it. They're going
to do it, and you know, no words are there,
and I think for me as well. He he just says,
oh my god towards the end and yeah, it's it's
just such a a like just a magical No one
I don't want to say no one could have expected it,
but for us to win the kayak, the canoe and

(26:19):
the kayak cross, it's just in Paris as well. It
was just the most insane insane, couldn't have scripted it
at a moment. And I think a lot of it
goes to show that, yeah, we were so well supported
by our family, by you know, the Australian Olympic team,
by our own federation, and also just like loving being
in Paris. I was one of you know, Paris is

(26:40):
my second I imagine my city. It's like I love France,
I love Paris, and it's magical, it's beautiful. There was
just such an air of like, I don't know, you know,
it was alive during the Olympic Games, and there was
so much beauty to see in it and so much
to like take in and we were just taking that
all in and regardless of the result, even before the race,

(27:01):
I just kept on thinking like how lucky am I
to been here in Paris? And and so I think, yeah,
it was just the most incredible experience of my life.
And then you add on top of that performance and
the gold medal, and yeah, you just want to paint
your house and you know those photos.

Speaker 3 (27:16):
Of well, speaking of wanting to paint your house, something
that lives rent free in my mind is the chateau
that you guys stayed in.

Speaker 2 (27:26):
Oh, I remember seeing a shopping.

Speaker 3 (27:29):
Am I being punked right now, this is where the
water sport. It was like you were in some sort
of field like Bridgeton, but the French version, yes, literally
up and go.

Speaker 2 (27:42):
Are they joking?

Speaker 6 (27:44):
I think during the Games we were a little bit
like hesitant to just post too much.

Speaker 3 (27:49):
Of everyone from hardboard beds and Prince William ha to
pop out and you be like, well that checks out.

Speaker 2 (27:55):
Hello.

Speaker 6 (27:57):
There was that element of like performance. So we were
close to our venue, which is an hour and a
half away from the Olympic village, so we're really east
of Paris, and so this chateau was a ten minute
drive and it meant that you know, rowing and canoe
sprint and canoe slalm could all be together. And when
we did. When we arrived, it was just like I

(28:19):
cannot explain that excitement. It's like ten times the most
excited kid on Christmas date. You know, you arrive and
you're just like, oh my god, was my home and
it was the most beautiful experience ever. And I think
now that it's a year on, I'm going to start like, yeah,
reliving that and sharing the insides of the chateau, but

(28:40):
being with the rowing girls as well was just the
best thing of all time. And yeah, a Bridgeton Castle
with incredible food as well, like all locally sourced. And
on the last day, the lady who would post us
was amazing and she knew that I was having very
simple breakfast, like sometimes just plain bread and you know,

(29:01):
a banana because it's all like a stomach, and she
was making pancakes and crapes. And then on the morning
what's wrong with this woman? The morning after I one,
she gave me the most beautiful totella crepe and she's like,
you can eat this now, because I couldn't stomach half
of their Like I just need a simple food. And

(29:21):
it was so hard to know that the most beautiful
food and cheeses and desserts were there for us.

Speaker 2 (29:28):
This is why we can't be Olympian. You're describing or
describing like us.

Speaker 1 (29:33):
What we imagine Hogwarts is like we're still waiting for
the We're still waiting for the letter.

Speaker 2 (29:38):
But any day now, I'm sure.

Speaker 3 (29:40):
But I just remember seeing the snippet of it and
going I messaged it directly to Georgia. You know, well,
we like, surely this is Ai, like they cannot be
staying there our life choices. But you mentioned how special
it was to be in France, like it is literally
your second home. Your mum, Miriam obviously is French as well,
and your dad is British. And you talk about being

(30:02):
at the two thousand Games and having some sort of
was it like an Australian flag, a British hat and.

Speaker 2 (30:07):
Some sort of French like a very confused little girl.

Speaker 3 (30:10):
Did any harder you ever consider, because no, I mean
you could have defected to represent two other nations and
qualified the Olympics a lot earlier than what you did,
or at least know that that opportunity might be more
open than I don't know, needing to go up against Jess.
Is that something that you ever considered, because a weaker
person would have.

Speaker 6 (30:31):
Yeah, I think, Look, it definitely did cross my mind. UK,
I have to say not so much. It's interesting, like
I think because we live in Australia, it's like I've
merged UK and Australia in one. But I feel very
heavily tied to my French roots. Obviously I was also
born there, just was born there, and my grandparents. You know,

(30:51):
my name calls me every single day. Like we are
extremely close with my French side of the family, and
my pop had a Kai club and you know they
would also say, oh, why can't you race for France.
But I think, you know, there was something about doing
my first junior team with the Australian team and then
having the Australian system invest in me as an athlete,

(31:12):
and like in terms of you know, patriotism, I don't
want to say I feel equal French and Australian, but
in terms of representing a country, I knew pretty early
on that I couldn't not represent Australia. And I think
it was one of those things that I had accepted
that if I didn't make it, I didn't make it,
and if I made it, it would be for that

(31:33):
Australian team. There's something so incredible in terms of the
history of the Australian Olympic team. You know, I grew
up idolizing, being infatuated by Ian thorpe and swimmers and
and you know anime is after that.

Speaker 2 (31:50):
I call myself a dolphin and you know.

Speaker 6 (31:53):
Going to those welcome homes and that quantious.

Speaker 2 (31:56):
Beautiful shots of you and Jess when you're tiny.

Speaker 6 (31:59):
Well, so we kind of grew up with that and
you know, I still have there's in that video that
I share when we're getting autographs. I still have that book.
So it was definitely like, you know, the Olympic team
I wanted to be part of, but also there's a
lot of incredible athletes in our sport, the current world

(32:19):
number two in canoe and then I think three or
four in kayak that have never been to the Olympic Games.
Because the world number ones are from the same country.
So I kind of just knew it would be my fate.
It was just hard knowing that it was. You know,
my sisters and my whole family are Olympians and I'm not.
So at one point I was like, do I just

(32:40):
choose a different country, seeing as mum was friends stab
as GB just as Australia. Maybe I'll just choose like Cambodia,
like around a different country. But at the end of
the day, I think it is so special when you
want to represent your country and when you're part of
that team. You know that, especially in the Australian team,

(33:00):
when you put on the green and gold, you have
like this national duty of doing the best possible, you know,
the best of your ability, and being so inspired by
other people on that team and the team that we
had in Paris. I just remember thinking like there's no
other team that I could have ever represented, Like this
is the most special team led by Anna, with so

(33:22):
many incredible athletes, Like it was just Yeah, I think
the proudest moment of my life was being on that
Australian Olympic team.

Speaker 1 (33:29):
That's still a lot of pressure as well, though, Yeah,
that you're that you know, you're you're putting on yourself,
the country's putting on you, the family's putting on you.
I mean you say you couldn't eat the delicious Natella crepes? Like,
how did you handle your nerves? In all seriousness? How
did you get a handle on them?

Speaker 6 (33:47):
Yeah? It was I think a long work in progress
because I'm generally quite a nervous person, quite someone that's
like focused on the results or not to like embarrass
myself or let other people down. Like I think that's
inherently who I am. And today I think I'm dealing
with more pressure or more nerves, especially ahead of say

(34:10):
a home World Championships in September as a raiding Olympic champion.
But for Paris, It's interesting. I had nerves, but I
think I was just more like the cup was more
full of like excitement and like pride and like I
don't know, this willingness to go out there knowing that
I finally had my shot. I never thought obviously I dreamt,

(34:33):
but I genuinely didn't think I would ever get to
go to the Olympic Games. And that was, you know,
kind of just what I had accepted. And when the
door opened a little bit, you know, I gave it
absolutely everything. And when I qualified for Prague, it was
just the biggest dream come true to earn my qualification
spot for Paris in Prague. And from there it was like, look,
you went through the hardest qualification system. You've got the results.

(34:56):
Like now you have nothing left to lose and no one,
you don't have to prove anything. You're here. You can
just go out and do your best. And there was
a lot of, you know, an incredible support team around me,
and every day it was just you know, taking the
good bits, read a lot of you know, positive reinforcement,
a lot of like writing down why you know I

(35:16):
could do it, and then that I had the skills
to be there, because up until even the day before,
sometimes you think like what if I'm out in the
quarterfinal or what if you know I'm here just for this,
and what if I get knocked out after the time trial.
I think there's always those thoughts, but doing a lot
of like positive reinforcement, having you know, a coach. My
coach was actually my partner who came specifically with the

(35:38):
kayak cross and you know, there.

Speaker 3 (35:41):
Was what your coach is your partner, so you rather
coach is kind of your mom.

Speaker 6 (35:46):
Like plot twist. We had multiple kayaking staff and so
my mum is mainly Jess as coach and for my
my coach in every day but for cross and for
that qualification in Prague, we needed an extra person to
come and my partner happens to be under twenty three

(36:08):
and kite cross specific coach, so he was brought up
in qualification and because we won the quota and I
got that spot, he then came on for the team
and helped obviously helped Jess and helped Tim and Tristan
as well in kite cross, and so there was that
element of career.

Speaker 2 (36:25):
So sorry, so no I'm so sorry that I'm interrupting you.

Speaker 1 (36:28):
So no trust there, But how do you take instructions
from your part because we can't and what survive let
alone win gold?

Speaker 3 (36:38):
Just just a context, Georgie just came back from the
amazing race that hasn't gone to a yet, but I'm
going to predict that there are points where Roberts giving
you direction.

Speaker 2 (36:46):
You're like, don't tell me.

Speaker 1 (36:47):
I'm like, oh, oh, are you an Olympic champion? But
you know what I mean, Like you could be like, well, yeah,
strange dynamics.

Speaker 6 (36:57):
It is a strange dynamic and I think that's why,
like I don't like not that I don't talk about it,
but I think often like, yeah, it is something about
a lot of people thing I never could have done that,
but there is something so unique about wanting something so badly,
and for me that was obviously that quota in Prague
and having people that have the competencies to help you

(37:20):
and wanting to help you, and then you know, trusting
that they can help you get there, so that we
were so aligned in that sense. There was also a
lot of trust. I think in an everyday basis, it
would be really hard for him to coach me because I,
you know, snap back. I even snap back at my mum.
We're very similar in that sense. But I think for

(37:40):
the quota there was so much you know, vulnerability there
as well, like so much fear of not getting it,
but also so much like drive to go get that
and him knowing exactly what I needed to do. So
there was that element of like it was a very
unique situation. And then for Paris, you know, it worked
and we trusted each other in that sense, and so
he carried on that quota and carried on from the

(38:03):
quota to come to Paris, and also knowing that he
wasn't there just for me made things a lot easier
because he's already you know, a staff member of the
Paddle Australia team. So it is an interesting dynamic. And
today we think like, thank god that worked, because it
definitely not worked out. But I really do think it

(38:23):
was that uniqueness of like the vulnerability of wanting something
so badly and understanding that you really need help and
that these people have the competencies to like help you
in that sense. But today, yeah, today, no, no.

Speaker 3 (38:35):
No, I've listened to arguably too much of you speaking
since the games because I'm I'm a massive.

Speaker 5 (38:42):
Fan, as you will know.

Speaker 3 (38:43):
But you spoke about there was a moment where people said, oh,
you know, what do you clearly remember and you said
my coach, which I now think were you talking about
your partner said take a moment to take this all
in because you're here.

Speaker 2 (38:55):
Was that your partner who said that?

Speaker 6 (38:56):
Yeah? So I think originally I didn't say my partner
because I knew that so many there was already so
much going on right media wise. I knew that it
could have just also been a flurry and in an
explosion of like different media, and I was just like
content with where we were at that I just would
say my coach this, my coach that. And then it
did get to a point where I was like, poor thing,

(39:17):
he's getting removed from like the whole.

Speaker 3 (39:19):
Narrative because I remember hearing you say, not to paraphrase
what you said yourself, but essentially that there's so much
noise going on as an athlete that you try to
shut out. It was your coach that said, take a
moment to go. You hear, yeah, you've achieved it. Enjoy
it here. It's like feel it all because if you
don't feel it all. It can go so quickly, and

(39:41):
now I realized yeah, And.

Speaker 6 (39:44):
So essentially we had like this little routine that we
would do, you know before like after each heat, there
would be like half an hour to forty minutes if
I remember, and I'd go to the tent and I
like write down my little things kind of like you know,
behind like Nicola and I would just you know, take
a moment, and then we come back and we do
our like little activations, have a bit of a pep talk,

(40:06):
and then for the final after, you know, coming down
from the tent. He didn't want me to go to
the tent. He wanted me to go to one of
the rooms we had. But hearing the crowd was just
the most incredible thing ever. They were blasting music, knowing
my friends were there, it was just like one of
those moments where I just was getting pretty hyped, but
it was just I wanted to let myself kind of

(40:29):
live that. And so then we went down did our
little like activations, and he kind of broke character for
the first time because he's very stoic, very calm, and
that's why we work well together and I think also
in real life. But he had he kind of broke
character and was like like take a moment, like take
it in and was kind of smiling, and uh yeah.

(40:49):
I was like, Okay, don't get emotional, like don't freak out,
but like, yeah, we're here. And so I went back
onto the and then I had like my little routine
when I'd go on the climbing up the rare, like
I would hold my boat. A lot of the people
were getting them carried, but for me, it was kind
of like that shielding myself from the outside world for
a few minutes and doing like my little reinforcement. Every

(41:11):
step would be like a word, so it would be
like courage, persistent, strive, courage persistent, strive, just to kind
of like just have that in my head, and so
that when I was on the ramp, i'd be like,
you know ready. So yeah, he broke character a little bit,
but I think it was something that did remind me
to like look up, because otherwise it just goes and
then you think, whoa, I don't even remember what it

(41:32):
was like, or it's all a blur, or like I
came forth and I didn't even let myself, you know,
enjoy it. I didn't want.

Speaker 1 (41:39):
That is that courage, persistence drive. Is that still something
that you've told yourself in competition since and is it
something that you're looking to employ at that home World
Championships in Pinrith.

Speaker 2 (41:52):
It's a home one for you in September.

Speaker 6 (41:56):
Yeah, But then you know, you get to the point
where you do the same thing that you did at
the Olympics and doesn't work, and you're like.

Speaker 2 (42:04):
Damn it. You're like the coach, your code doesn't fly.
The coach was the code infraction? Oh gosh.

Speaker 6 (42:12):
But yeah, I think there's definitely like little elements that
I take, especially when I guess, say like nervous or
when things just kind of there feels like there's a
lot of pressure. It's like having little mechanisms that you
do and you know work. And yeah, a home World
Championships in September, So the last weekend of September will
be big for me because I'll be for the first time,

(42:35):
like the favorite and the one that's being chased. And
I've always been the underdog, and I've loved being the
underdog because there's something about, you know, chasing that is
just I find So I don't know, like it just
works for me, and so.

Speaker 2 (42:47):
No, you're not a Queensland.

Speaker 1 (42:50):
I was like, babe, I can teach you. I can
teach you if you need. I can be a consultant coacher,
because it obviously.

Speaker 2 (42:58):
Was I think the wrong of coaching. Partner's already taken.

Speaker 3 (43:02):
If you're if you're paying attention, but you do mention
the facilities in Penrith. We may or may not have
had the Prime Minister on the podcast and he was
talking about the Brisbane Games and what they're going to
do with the different facilities in this country, and this
is what he had to say about the rowing.

Speaker 2 (43:19):
Take a listen.

Speaker 6 (43:20):
Are we really going to do rowing in Rockhampton on
the fit Troy River when there are some pretty good
facilities at Penrith? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (43:30):
Yeah, I mean the Fox girls they yeah, thats ther.

Speaker 3 (43:35):
They're I do realize he was talking about rowing it
I still put you up.

Speaker 2 (43:42):
In retrospect. I'm like rolling kayak and canoe potato.

Speaker 3 (43:45):
But data the Fox girls, how do I get them
into conversation? But what would it mean for your family,
who was so intrinsically linked to those facilities in Penrith
to have the games there and to have everyone fill
it out?

Speaker 2 (43:56):
Is that something that you think should happen.

Speaker 6 (43:59):
Yeah, it's interesting. Like I say, both ways, part of
me things, Oh, it could be incredible, you know, knowing
that the legacy of the Penrith facility was for two
thousand and already for US now to have twenty five
years on a World Championships and then potentially Brisbane twenty
thirty two. But at the same time I see that
for our sport to grow it does need another venue.

(44:19):
If there's an algae issue again, to have another venue
and Brisbane there's just so much more of a clearer
pathway to enter canoeing from you know, from surf life saving,
from already a lot of water sports, and I think
for sports to grow there has to be being such
a huge geographic nation, you know, it's so massive. To

(44:40):
have another facility would be incredible for the growth of
our sport. Also to have a facility that is designed
to be more sustainable, to have a longer lasting legacy
as well, because you know that one was designed back
in two thousand. In terms of efficiency with the pump system,
it's not the best, but it is also long standing
and one of the the best design courses out there,

(45:02):
and it was designed twenty seven years ago now exactly.
That's also amazing, But part of me would be super
excited to see that Red Lens venue be made and
to know that there could be a better pathway to
our sport because the reality is being in Penrith thing
closed off with the Regata Center. It is really hard

(45:22):
to get people into kayaking, to get people to stay.
It's an expensive sport. Equipment's expensive, and it is you know,
forty dollars for one session on whitewater as well unless
you're refunded athletes. So there's a lot of like financial
and geographical barriers into getting into kayaking, and we've brought
in a lot of exposure, but we want people to

(45:43):
discover rivers. We want people to discover what kayaking is,
and I think a new venue would also help that.

Speaker 1 (45:49):
Essentially, who do you think would be better at kayaking?

Speaker 2 (45:53):
No way me, jail me or myself? Don't.

Speaker 3 (45:57):
You don't have to answer that because you know the answer.
I can't be swim.

Speaker 1 (46:00):
Yeah, but you've got long limbs and I feel like
that would help with the Well.

Speaker 6 (46:04):
You know what what I can do is we'll take
you down and we'll find out, Yes, I'm not good
for much.

Speaker 3 (46:10):
I've got forty bucks. I reckon, I reckon, we can
do it.

Speaker 2 (46:14):
You know what. I would absolutely do it. I would
do it.

Speaker 5 (46:16):
I would do it just for the drop, although I'm
sure that's not how they start.

Speaker 2 (46:19):
Oh there's and again I know beginnings.

Speaker 1 (46:21):
Don't to be all Queenslander about this, but there's the
theme park on the gold Cloth called dream World, and
there was a ride there called the Tower of Terror,
and that is the when you're talking about that drop
to start the car cross, all I am thinking about
is that's my Tower of Terror.

Speaker 6 (46:34):
See I can you can not pay me to do
the Tower of Terror. But like fucking ramps, I'm fine.
You know, really.

Speaker 1 (46:41):
Really have you Who do you think would be the
biggest name that sort of reached out to you or
wish you were congratulations when you won gold.

Speaker 6 (46:50):
Oh I've actually had a lot which has been insane. Yeah,
and a lot that I can't even remember now, which.

Speaker 2 (46:59):
Sounds it would been a way.

Speaker 6 (47:01):
You know a lot of Australian legends. I've had Nick Fanning,
I've had who you know, huge fan of I've also
had Rufus Rufus and I think they sing it to.

Speaker 5 (47:16):
Up there did you say you know I can't get
enough of you?

Speaker 6 (47:21):
But yeah, I've had like I think that's been Like
the craziest thing is sometimes seeing like who followed me
and taking a screenshot and sending it and being like WHOA,
How do I like say, is it weird to say
thanks for the phone?

Speaker 2 (47:35):
You're?

Speaker 6 (47:35):
Like?

Speaker 5 (47:35):
Do I casually use one of their songs in my.

Speaker 3 (47:37):
Story as I like, I see you, thank you for
your time?

Speaker 6 (47:41):
Like play cool, play it cool, but like so, yeah,
there's been a lot of I feel like tonight I'll
be like, how did I not say that?

Speaker 2 (47:48):
No?

Speaker 6 (47:49):
No, I remember flag bearer and when she was elected
flag bearer, I remember saying, you realize, like people like
Hugh Jackman are going to know who you are, Like
they're going to know that you're waving the flag, or
like Beyonce, if she watches We're right before the USA,
she's gonna hear that Jessica Fox is the flag Barrel.

Speaker 3 (48:08):
I don't love you because I was expecting you to
be like you know Lebron's and said you're like h Jackman.

Speaker 6 (48:16):
We saw Lebron stop. It's one of my top I
don't want to say top three highlights but it is
up there. We were basically on our way to the
opening ceremony in the bus, and at one point the
buses were just stopped. We were really close to getting out,
and I was sitting next to the window and a
bus rolls up next to us, and we can see
they're the US, and it just starts creeping forward. And

(48:38):
at one point Lebron is on the backseat and he's
in what because he was in and he's just looking
at us, and he's like nodding his head, and I
think everyone was like in shock. And then two seconds
later everyone went and then we didn't even have time
to get our phones out or anything, and just like
creeped forward. But everyone was just just like shocked by

(48:59):
his presence. And you could feel the aura just from
you know, the separation of the buses. It was insane.

Speaker 3 (49:05):
So what was your Because you tried to semi immerse
yourself in the village as much as you could and
the activities and activations, even though you were very much
in gay mode, was there something about the games that
stood out. We've heard of people getting free tattoos, the
muffins went the muffins went viral.

Speaker 2 (49:21):
And if you kind of have an a teller crape.

Speaker 3 (49:22):
You weren't holing into muffins, but was there something about
the village that really stood out to you?

Speaker 6 (49:28):
The muffins were really good. I think what I loved
about the village the village. I literally felt like I
was made to be an athlete in the village. It's
really hard to say, but I was like, I'm such
a merch girlie. I love like, you know, chatting to
different people. It was amazing to be in the village,
especially to be in the village post competition in a

(49:50):
good mood, you know. I think there was something so
special about having a week in the village. But what
I loved was like all the little things you could
do and collect, Like, like I said, my merch collector,
so we could get like post stamps made with our
faces and actually like send them off. So I wrote
a postcard to my Grandma and put my face on

(50:11):
the stamp, which was insane.

Speaker 3 (50:13):
There was like a photos they probably made them, yeah,
And then there.

Speaker 6 (50:18):
Was also the oz post ones that we received later on,
but we could there was like photo booths everywhere and
it was all like in the Paris colors and just
you know, walking around and the oz HQ, I think
above all was the coolest thing ever. We obviously had
like a barista and just hang out there. And the
coolest thing ever was after the closing ceremony, we all

(50:40):
came back to our HQ and just danced until like
two am. That was the coolest thing ever because everyone
was just you know, together as a team, and we
saw like countries kind of trying to get in and
we had a security guard that was like Australia's a
nightclub where it's like so Australian. HQ was just the

(51:05):
funnest thing ever. And the only song that we had
was the Freed from Desire. We listened to it at
least twenty times because they'd be like okay, okay, last song,
we have to shut down, and then like there'd be
silent and then you'd hear do do start again, and

(51:27):
so yeah, it was just that song. We were pretty
saturated by the end of it.

Speaker 1 (51:30):
Oh, I'm just I'm getting a glimpse at the life
in a parallel universe if I had talent and cardiovascular.

Speaker 2 (51:37):
Capabilities that I may have had. You know, you're speaking
all my language. You were speaking my language.

Speaker 1 (51:43):
No Amy Another thing that we share in common is
a deep, deep love for our grandmothers. I've lost mine
by one that I loved more than anything. But I
love your Instagram because you constantly put in I'm gonna
call her your mammy, mammy.

Speaker 6 (51:58):
Or mammy mammy.

Speaker 1 (52:00):
Me beautiful, your mammy, Like what what does that mean
to you?

Speaker 2 (52:05):
I mean, she got to see you at the games,
you got to take her to the seaside recently.

Speaker 1 (52:10):
I mean, at its heart, sport is about the humans
that you share it with, and you got to share
it with your memmy.

Speaker 6 (52:17):
Yeah, it's really special. I mean, we live so far
and I think that's the hardest thing, especially as she
gets older. She just had one child and that's my mom,
and then we have two grandkids. So it is really hard.
Being so far away and having that close connection to
Marseille and being able to go there and just spend
time with her is so cut feeling. And you know,

(52:38):
being in Paris and being able to do sometimes have
two days off and go down to Marseilles three hours
in the train was just the most incredible thing. And
to feel like I was home and resetting and then
being sent back to Paris with like you know, little
goods and cookies and biscuits, and she always sends me
off with biscuits, which is so special. But it's funny.
She is terrified of our sport and it's because she

(53:02):
grew up on the river bank and she would watch
my mom paddle and be like, this is too scary.
You know, she wasn't from a paddling family. It was
her husband that got my mom into the sports, and
my granddad, and she just was too scared of it.
I think she's naturally a bit of a scary cat
and it gets really nervous. But she wants us to

(53:22):
do well, and she wants us to just enjoy what
we're doing. So when she knows that we are we
love what we're doing, or that you know, we're happy
with the results, she'll watch it. And she's by far
the most you know, our biggest cheerleader and our biggest
fan of what we do. So being able to share
that with hers is definitely so special. And yeah, Mom's

(53:43):
Atlanta nineteen ninety six medal is still at her house.
And so when I finished Paris, I had like the
two men. I have to say, Mums looks like very
gold compared to like a bronze, so it doesn't look
like a really nice bronze.

Speaker 2 (53:56):
If you squench, it's like gold.

Speaker 6 (53:58):
Although I do love one of my it's definitely a gold.

Speaker 2 (54:01):
One of my.

Speaker 3 (54:01):
Favorite grabs that your dad just had to take on
the chin was when you finish and you were like,
don't be like dad, don't not get a medal.

Speaker 6 (54:09):
I felt so bad saying that. Afterwards, you know, I
was like, whoa, I really it just makes you realize,
you know, everything can just be broadcast to the world.

Speaker 2 (54:18):
But if we're in the moment and Dad's like, ha ha.

Speaker 6 (54:24):
I just didn't want to be four, then I knew
how heartbreaking it was. And your mom still like obviously
it doesn't talk about it now, but like I remember
growing up and being like, oh, you know, he had
he should have won gold, and it was fourth and
gold would have changed his life. But the Olympics wasn't
in the Olympic program for canoe wasn't in the Olympic

(54:44):
program when they were at their peak. It only came
in for ninety ninety two, and they were at their
peak in the eighties, so I think, you know, it's
something that they think, well, the Olympics is life changing
and to live their Olympic dreams now through their kids
something that is so amazing. And Mum recently said in
ninety two, when she had just the most disastrous Olympics

(55:07):
as world rank number one, she said, if she could
have known that her two kids would have won goal
later on, she would have been like, I'm done, I
don't care. Yeah, it's all worth it. So I think, yeah,
it's amazing for them as athletes that know how hard
it is and know how hard an Olympics is. To
see us, you know, perform and do well. I think, yeah,

(55:29):
it's very special.

Speaker 3 (55:30):
The Olympics is life changing and you know that now
in terms of you become a household name and just
what your family mean to us as Australians.

Speaker 2 (55:39):
And again people like me are cost you at parties
thinking that we.

Speaker 3 (55:42):
Know you when we're open because we were so part
of that journey. But what makes you know amy away
from kayak and canoe and that world. What gives you
your sense of you? And what do you if you're
crystal balling and looking ten twenty years down the track,
what do you think a fulfilled, happy life looks like
for you.

Speaker 6 (56:02):
That's a deep question. And then I feel like I'm
doing a lot of thinking about that at the moment,
and sometimes you're like, what do I like?

Speaker 2 (56:11):
Welcome, Welcome again, this is this podcast? Welcome?

Speaker 5 (56:14):
Yes, Yes, that could be the name about the podcast.

Speaker 2 (56:18):
What do I like? What do I like? What's our hobbies?
Who is she I think?

Speaker 6 (56:23):
You know?

Speaker 3 (56:24):
Like?

Speaker 6 (56:24):
Because the Olympics always seemed far fetched, I definitely tried
to develop myself outside of the sport to not have
you know, disappointment or bad results or like average results
just be my sense of identity, because that's the reality.
Sport can be pretty brutal when you're just investing in
that and you feel like the results aren't paying. It's
really easy to kind of attach your identity and your

(56:46):
self worth to results, and especially you know, as young
female athletes, that can be really challenging. So always had
something on the side to kind of, you know, make
me feel like I was also good in another domain,
and so I did a lot of studied in media,
did management, did a master's at Sydney UNY, and then

(57:09):
went to do like a huge internship in Switzerland in
twenty twenty during COVID, And that's when I realized that,
oh wow, like there's life outside of sport and you
can go and create also other opportunities that are amazing,
and you know, you can really live big emotions even
though you know sport. Often we say you can only
live these emotions through like sport and the Olympics and

(57:33):
things like that. So that kind of made me realize, Oh,
there's life outside of this. But I realized I actually
still really love my sport and I want to, you know,
give it a big crack. But I think today I
am kind of like in this this like into what's
the world, like this phase where I am just doing

(57:53):
sport and because it's the first year that I can
live off my passion and give back to different ways,
do school talks, do you know, different corporate talks or
things like that, and feel like I'm you know, giving
back or doing valuable things. But I do miss having
like a job on the side or something else that
kind of is outside of sport. And that's where I'm

(58:14):
kind of figuring out my next steps of you know,
what I do, because I know it's not just kayaking,
but I feel like I'm trying to kind of figure
out what that is and dabbling in different areas or yeah,
I don't know. I'm open to like career mentoring at.

Speaker 2 (58:31):
This stage, Same babe, same again, Welcome, welcome again.

Speaker 5 (58:38):
And we only say that through the lens of we
love what we do.

Speaker 3 (58:40):
But I also think sometimes you sit back and you're like,
what else is out there?

Speaker 2 (58:44):
What is like? Or do we now? Do we keep
and again? Do you keep applying your training?

Speaker 3 (58:49):
Like do you go into administration in sport after you
stop being an athlete because obviously you're studying, would lean
that way? Or do you try something? Do you open
a home just for greyhounds?

Speaker 6 (58:59):
You know, my god, you know my dream. My dream
is to have like a sanctuary where I have like donkeys, greyhounds,
different like rehomed animals, horses. But then I'm like, but
then I can't travel. Then I can't do you know,
hiking in the summer in the Alps and things like that,
which is also something that we love skiing in winter.

(59:21):
I'm definitely a huge traveler and so I've landed my
dream sponsorship in that sense with Intrepid, which is a
travel company, and actually going to Antarctica in March, which
is so excited about. So yeah, I can't have a
sanctuary if I'm going traveling as well.

Speaker 3 (59:38):
And dear listeners any one day if you miss that context,
they have a greyhound.

Speaker 2 (59:42):
I just didn't.

Speaker 5 (59:42):
Randomly that wasn't the animal that first came to my
mind that.

Speaker 1 (59:47):
You went with donkeys. You went with donkeys as your
first thing. I was like, of course you did the
work horses of the world.

Speaker 2 (59:53):
Yes, someone thinking.

Speaker 6 (59:54):
The donkeys have incredible characters as well. Funny. That's but
people don't realize how funny they are. And I am
such a fan. It's like my Instagram is a lot
of donkeys.

Speaker 2 (01:00:10):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:00:11):
Yes, yes, this I love see now I did not
know that about you, but I love you even more.

Speaker 3 (01:00:16):
But I also from the very beginning, the second that
we met, I said to Georgie, I was like, Miami
and I became friends.

Speaker 2 (01:00:21):
But more the point she's so one of out the
whole way through this chat when you're.

Speaker 3 (01:00:25):
Like, I'm emerged girl, Georgie's just looked at me as
if you're like with this glare, as if to be like,
did we just become best friends?

Speaker 2 (01:00:30):
I think because she would have every badge every body.

Speaker 1 (01:00:34):
I have final question from us, no Ami unless we
think of others, because we've spent you know, nineteen hours
talking to you at this point. But I mean, the
relationship between you and Jess, it is so special. Gelemy
and I both have sisters. We can understand the comparisons
and the rivalry to a certain extent, and we've never
had Olympic gold on the line or an Olympic qualification

(01:00:57):
on the line. Firstly, it's a two prong question. First like,
how do you navigate that as a pairing because you're
still so so close, anyone can see that bond. And secondly,
I know Jess is doing something pretty special at the moment,
so I want to give you a chance to give
that a shout out. But yeah, talk to me about
the bond between you two.

Speaker 6 (01:01:20):
It's definitely special and unique. I think something that we're
both really aligned on is that sport is quite sleeding
and it is just a specific chapter in our lives.
And then we have hopefully a very long life together
as close sisters. And my mum is an only child
and so she's always wanted us to be, you know,
friends and close and to have each other, and it

(01:01:43):
is easy for that to be kind of ruptured through
sport and especially just having one person go to the Olympics,
and it is definitely challenging at times. But just as
someone that she's just so like humble and caring and generous,
it is hard to be mad at her. Is hard
to be jealous of her.

Speaker 2 (01:02:02):
That's annoying.

Speaker 6 (01:02:03):
Yeah, you know, excels in every bloody domain. Was ducks
of her school, got a ninety nine point one atar
Like you know, you think, well, I'm just going to
be the disappointment. This is character, But I think, you know,
she's so generous in that sense that she's always tried
to lift me up with her and for Kia Cross
when we knew that there was just one quota, she

(01:02:25):
was my sparring partner. She even was like, look, I
know a lot of like different contacts that could help
you handle with nerves and and things like that. You know,
she was definitely a big mentor in that sense. And
I think what I'm so like happy and proud of
is that We've got to be on that Olympic team
together because Jess has previously been the only girl on

(01:02:47):
an Olympic team, and knowing that we could be like
you know, hype girls for each other on that Olympic team,
and that she could as an experienced I don't want
to say veteran Olympian, but you know, experience full time olympian,
could see like the magic through my eyes of a newbie,
of like a golden retriever, easily excited, and and for
her she could be for me, she could be my

(01:03:08):
mentor and like someone that could help me deal with
the pressure and the nerves, and so we really you know,
balanced each other out. And to see her win no
matter how, you know, when I haven't been on the
Olympic team, or even if I missed this, it would
have been a win for the sport, a win for me,
a win for you know, her obviously above all. But
it really is such a you know, how hard someone's

(01:03:31):
work that you know they're deserving. So I think there's
obviously inherently been like frustration as to how come I
can't learn as quickly as her? How come she's so good?
How Come I didn't get all the special ingredients of
the magic ingredients that she has. How Come I'm so
slow to like, you know, learn things. But it's not
at her and she's really done everything she could to

(01:03:53):
like lift me up with her, and that's something that
I'm incredibly grateful for. And now we have these memories
to share for the rest of our lives, and I
think it's it's definitely special. But you know, even tomorrow,
I might be like, we might do Ki cross and
she might beat me, and I'll hold a bit of resentment.
You know, that's fine, but I'll be like, it's never adults,

(01:04:14):
let me have this one. But I think, you know,
what we shared was so so incredible, and she really is,
you know, someone that inspires me so much in different
aspects and areas that she does. And obviously being on
the Olympic Athletes Committee Athletes Commission of the International Olympic Committee,

(01:04:35):
I got to see and do the Congress with her
in March, and to see her in a different role
as well, and the value she brings with all these
incredibly you know, intelligent or like important people in a
room was just mind blowing for me to also see that.
So yeah, it's been really amazing to me on that
team and to be with her, but also to realize,

(01:04:57):
you know, what she brings to the Pig team more
to the Olympic movement, because I think It's really easy,
especially when you're like in the same family or in
the same sport, to like dismiss someone's impressiveness or to
dismiss someone's like talent and what they bring because you
kind of just get so used to it.

Speaker 5 (01:05:16):
You're almost built up an immunity to it.

Speaker 6 (01:05:18):
I think so and I think around it. So yeah, yeah,
and it's been really special.

Speaker 3 (01:05:24):
It's so interesting listening to you talk to me because
in a weird way, George, not that we're sisters, but
we navigate what it's like being in a similar industry.
You know, both Brunette, so clearly the same person, but
in sports media where the other will get opportunities and
you go, oh my god, I'm so happy for you.

Speaker 5 (01:05:40):
But man, I would have loved to have done that.

Speaker 3 (01:05:42):
Yeah, But in all of that context, it's really special
bomb where it's like you can talk to that person
about things that are going on in your professional life
and you're like, and you're the only one.

Speaker 6 (01:05:53):
Who gets this. Yeah, and that's the reality today. Like
I think there's been a lot of stuff like, oh,
you knows this, like normal, should I be charging for
this or should I accept this sort of thing? Like
obviously I have management as well. But then there's been
a lot of like life things like oh, you know,
I feel like I've got so much on my plate,
I'm not managing this, or like how how do you

(01:06:13):
do it? And you know, how do you also find
ways to come back? Like I think that's the biggest
thing for me right now is coming back after winning
gold and trying to still feel important or trying to
still feel like I have, you know, the ability and
to back up a performance or to keep kind of
evolving as a person or finding ways to give back.
And you know, just just recently has launched this charity

(01:06:35):
with high impact athletes. For every clean gate that she
does on the circuit, she's pledging ten dollars to have
cleaner water for a lot of you know, vulnerable environments
or communities and things like that. You think, oh wow,
you know, it's impressive to be around someone that's constantly
finding ways to like use a platform and to you know,
evolve or find ways to to I guess give back.

(01:06:59):
And that's kind of where I'm at now. It's like
I realize I have a platform, I have opportunity potential,
and it's like what do I do with that because
you know you don't want it to just be fleeting,
you don't want it to go, and you want to
make sure that you've kind of left a legacy.

Speaker 1 (01:07:14):
Well I know that comparison, as we say on this podcast,
is the death of sanity.

Speaker 3 (01:07:21):
Peep of joy like death sanity.

Speaker 1 (01:07:27):
And as people who would consider themselves to be quite
high achievers in life, No Amy, it's good to see
that we still got so much talk. So like, can
only say thank you so much for making our second
official Amy.

Speaker 6 (01:07:45):
Day on Too.

Speaker 1 (01:07:47):
A little bit extra special because you are just such
a joy. We fell in love with you, our listeners
fell in love with you, and the country fell in
love with you, and hey, potentially even Beyonce content.

Speaker 6 (01:07:58):
You know, you just got a girl can dream, you know.
Thanks for having me, Georgie.

Speaker 3 (01:08:04):
Thanks you drop in anytime, my friends. Oh yeah, because
we will not be dropping in on the kayaks.

Speaker 6 (01:08:11):
You never know,