- Sisters became Aussie icons at the Paris Olympics
- Now have their own Aussie icon named after them
- They met the baby joey as part of Save the Koalas Month
They are Aussie champions, now the world-conquering Fox sisters have their own Aussie icon after a baby koala was named after them.
Jess and Noemie Fox endeared themselves to the Australian public after their gold-medal winning heroics at the Paris Olympics.
Which prompted Wild Life Sydney Zoo in Darling Harbour to name a new joey after them to honour their accolades.
Jess Fox announced herself to the world at the Tokyo Olympics by winning gold in the women’s C1 canoe slalom and bronze in the K1 event.
She then defended her Olympic canoeing crown at the Paris Olympics, winning two golds, which elevated her to a historic achievement of being the first Australian to win six individual Olympic medals.
This placed her among Australia’s greatest athletes, sharing the elite status of winning three individual gold medals with icons like Ian Thorpe and Dawn Fraser.
Noemie Fox joined her sister as an Olympic gold medallist with a spectacular performance in the kayak cross event at Paris, winning all three races, including a dramatic final where a brilliant eskimo roll secured her victory.
Now back in Australia, the sisters could not stop beaming as they met their namesake for the first time.
Jess and Noemie Fox take selfies with Fox the baby koala and his mother at the Wild Life Sydney Zoo in Darling Harbour
Fox is part of a conversation effort and the face of Save The Koala Month this September
‘We have met little Fox,’ a smitten Jess Fox posted on Instagram.
‘A little Joey that has been named after us and he is adorable.
The sisters also thanked Wild Life Sydney Zoo in a joint statement.
‘Meeting Fox, the adorable koala named in our honour, has been a highlight for us post Paris,’ they said.
‘We are so excited to have the opportunity to see him in person and hope our visit encourages more support for koala conservation.’
The endangered ten-month-old koala joey is an ambassador for Save The Koala Month which is recognised through September to raise awareness about koalas and their habitat.
Jess Fox backed up her gold medal efforts at the Tokyo Games with two golds in Paris
Noemie Fox made it a family affair when she also claimed gold in Paris in emotional scenes
Wild Life koala keeper Alie Selveraj said that the zoo was committed to koala conservation through a nationally coordinated breeding effort and hoped the Fox sisters would help raise more attention towards endangered koalas.
‘We we’re delighted to welcome Jess and Noemie to meet Fox! Like so many Australians, we were inspired witnessing their triumphant efforts in Paris and knew we needed to name our newest koala joey after them,’ Alie said.
‘Just like Koalas, Jess and Noemie are a symbol of national pride and the spirit of Australia and we were honoured to welcome them today.
‘In a few years, when Fox is mature, he will play an important part in supporting the future of the species.
‘He will be paired with genetically diverse females, by zoo matchmakers, in hopes of producing the next generation of joeys.
‘Koalas were declared Endangered in February 2022, granting the species greater protection and increased initiatives by conservation groups, including zoos like ours to support them.’
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