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French-born Noemie Fox could be considered to have kayaking in her veins, with both parents competing in the sport at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and coaching on the International Peninsula tour. Having parents so heavily involved in the elite sport, Noemie and her sister had the opportunity to travel all over the world growing up, being exposed to the competitive world of kayaking everywhere they went.
“Originally I really didn't like kayaking. It was always my parents' thing and they brought it on family holidays and really forced us [Noemie and sister Jess] to jump in the kayak.”
Despite wanting to try gymnastics or swimming, Noemie grew up kayaking and, at age 11, was selected for her first nationals in Tasmania. Following this, Noemie went to her first kayaking development camp in New Zealand, an experience she credits for truly sparking her love for the sport.
“It really was an eye-opening experience for me, because I found all the people you could meet when you were paddling, and all the rivers and places kayaking could take you.
“I had a click moment and realised that wow, this sport that my parents did is actually super, super fun!”
Fast forward to the age of 17 and Noemie made her first world championships tour. These days she is on the Senior Canoe Slalom team, having been Olympic reserve for Tokyo.
Being coached by her mum and training alongside her sister, elite canoeist Jessica Fox, Noemie said it’s quite easy to keep motivated, because dreams such as going to the Olympics or winning a medal at the Australian championships are shared amongst the family.
“Having super clear, realistic goals is something that motivates me. Also, the places we get to travel, the events we get to race at, and knowing that I have friends on the world tour who I can see this year as well, is a great reason to try to get selected onto the international team and something I find so motivating.”
However, having a family which all shares enormous success in the same sport has created some hurdles for Noemie, such as the expectation of high level achievements such as Olympic gold and World Champion medals.
“I think that's something I've definitely struggled with in my career. Naturally having that association and not being able to forge my own name, identity and results. But it's something I've learned how to do and I'm doing now.”
Noemie has achieved remarkable success in her sport, winning a 2023 Canoe Slalom World Championship gold medal in the UK in September as part of the Australian Women’s Kayak Team, after being a finalist in the 2022 World Championships in Germany. Noemie also won the silver medal in the Kayak Cross event at the World Cup in Poland and finished fifth overall in world rankings in 2022.
Off the water Noemie also has a well-established corporate career at leading global professional services and technology company Accenture. Being able to maintain both a career in elite sport and in the corporate world is something Noemie is extremely proud of, with both an undergraduate degree and a master’s to her name.
Noemie credits the Minerva Network for assisting her establish her dual career.
At the time Noemie was introduced to Minerva, she was looking to expand her network as well as explore the opportunities available to her both as an athlete and an employee. When Noemie was completing her master's and beginning to apply for graduate jobs, she became aware of Accenture through her university. Discovering the company was also a major sponsor of the Minerva Network sparked her interest in working there.
At a Minerva International Women’s Day event Noemie was introduced to the Head of HR at Accenture, Sarah Kruger. Soon after she was offered a graduate position at the company.
“I really value being part of a community that is not only sharing the same passion but pushing you to understand your strengths and be inspired by not only different athletes but also different professionals,” Noemie said. “Minerva excels at connecting you to like-minded individuals who share the same passion for wanting to help females in sport and in the professional space.”
Noemie is excited for the future, highlighting the significant improvement in the calibre of women's kayaking. She does however hope to see an increase in the number of individuals selected for the Olympic team. Currently, only one individual is selected for the team, a factor which Noemie believes is limiting the progression of the sport.
“In Australia, unless you're an Olympic athlete, it can be hard to be ‘seen’ as a professional athlete. So to be able to have two Australian competitors at the Olympics is definitely something that would help the development of the sport and grow the professional opportunity for a lot of athletes.”
Right now, Noemie is on top of the world, riding high as a 2023 World Champion and looking ahead to her next challenge.
