Jess and Noemie Fox are Australia’s newest golden girls, but to their old school Blaxland High they’re more than that.
Students and teachers from the school in Penrith gathered this morning to watch Noemie take gold in the first-ever Kayak Cross at Paris 2024.
Former teacher Leanne Talbot said she had been crying all morning.
READ MORE: Fox family’s wild immediate reactions to Noemie’s incredible gold
“I burst out in tears…I think I’ve been crying during breakfast… [when] throwing the ball for the dog… and now of course,” Talbot said.
The training ground where both sisters train in Penrith is already planning to hang a plaque in honour of Noemie, next to the existing one for Jess.
The high school in Sydney’s west is also planning to immortalise the two Olympians and former students.
“I think they also deserve a stadium named after them at the school…so we’ll sort that out,” Talbot said.
READ MORE: Fox produces heroic race in final to join sister as Paris 2024 gold medallist
Year 7 student Mikayla Hall said she felt “proud” of the sisters.
“I’m so proud that they’ve managed to go that far.”
Principal Emma Le Marquand said the Penrith community had been backing the girls for years, and they “felt like proud mums”.
“We have been cheering on for Noemie for a very long time…now the rest of the world understands.”
Noemie’s best friend Jasmine Pervan was also watching the race from Australia.
READ MORE: Proud big sister Jess in tears as she hails Noemie Fox’s kayak cross gold medal win
“Noemie’s been one of my best friends for my whole life, so watching that just felt absolutely surreal,” she said.
The girls have Olympic canoeing in their blood.
Their mother Myriam Fox won Bronze for France in 1996, while their father Richard Fox competed for Great Britain in 1992.
Watch every moment, every medal of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Plus, every event ad-free and in 4K on Stan Sport.
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