Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness Elite Athlete Program (EAP) scholarship holder and London 2012 silver medallist Jessica Fox has been nominated for Sport Australia Hall of Fame award, ‘The Don’, an award given to an Australian athlete who has inspired the nation within the past 12 months.
Kayaker Fox will join fellow nominees Jacqueline Freney (swimming), Sally Pearson (athletics), Anna Meares (cycling), Tom Slingsby (sailing) and Stephanie Gilmore (surfing), with the winner being announced on Thursday, October 11.
Fox, 18,became Australia’s best-performing Olympic kayaker ever with a silver medal in the women’s K1 in London.
Before Fox, Australia’s best result in the slalom was delivered by University of Sydney graduate and former EAP scholarship holder Robin Bell, who claimed bronze in the men’s C1 at the 2008 Beijing Games.
The University of Sydney arts student scraped through to the 10-woman final as the eighth-fastest qualifier, but then set the field a mighty task to better her with a blistering 106.51 seconds time on the tricky Lee Valley White Water Centre course.
Of the seven who followed, only France’s Emilie Fer was able to top her, and only by 0.61s.
Fox’s silver also places her as the most successful kayaker in her family, no mean feat considering both of her parents are also Olympians.
