Sisterhood, Rivals and Idols

International and domestic sport has many fierce sister rivalries.

In Australia, there are the Campbell Olympic champion swimmers, the formidable Meares cyclists, the Blackwell cricketers and aspiring for the Paris Olympic Games is Noemie Fox, who whilst trying to secure a spot on the Australian Team is up against the GOAT, her sister, Jessica Fox. 

“It’s tough competing against your sister, but luckily it’s a sport that’s not confrontational, like the Williams sisters,” Jess Fox shares in the NSWIS Lights Up athlete documentary series about her sister Noemie.

The NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder is referring to two of the best tennis players for over two decades, Venus and Serena Williams.

Like the Williams sisters, the Fox sisters are personally very close and grew up training together with parents as their coach. The Williams sisters won 22 titles when playing doubles together, including 14 majors and 3 Olympic gold medals.

It wasn’t until 10 years after Jess won her first world championship medal, that Noemie shared the podium with her sister, winning gold in the women’s C1 Teams event at the 2019 World Championships. She did it again last year when they combined to win gold in the women’s kayak team event at the 2023 Canoe Slalom World Championships.

“Growing up with Jess, training with her on a daily basis, seeing how she just repeats – she consistently wins, consistently performs and consistently improves – for me that is just a sporting idol.

“She is definitely one of my idols and luckily I’ve have met her a few times.”

World champion swimmer, Olympic gold medallist and world record holder, Bronte Campbell has spoken about the tension that has defined her relationship with older sister Cate.

Noemie admits she does feel pressure from her older sister.

“I’m not sure it adds extra pressure competing against Jess but from a training perspective, you are constantly compared to the Greatest of all Time, world number 1, so I know that if I’m super close or on a day I’m in front then I know I’m on a great training day and I’m on track.”

Despite the pressure, Noemie is incredibly proud of her sister.

“She has incredible technique that is unbreakable. Her CV is outstanding. She has a formidable mix of mental and technical ability which makes her so dominant.

“I’d love to say we are bred differently, but we have the same genes,” Noemie laughs.

NSWIS Lights Up is a unique documentary series, which explores the raw emotions, inner thoughts, challenges, and triumphs of 20 ‘world’s best’ New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) athletes who are preparing to prove themselves on the world’s biggest sporting stage.  

Watch Noemie’s entire series ? nswis.com.au/nswis-lights-up/

ONE SERIES | TWENTY ATHLETES | FIVE FEATURE EPISODES