Put your paddle to the medal - dream big for Brisbane 2032

When I was 16, I made a decision to dream big. I didn’t know if I’d make it, but I made it real by pinning a piece of paper on my bedroom wall. It was a picture of the Olympic rings with the words “London 2012”.

It’s a tiny act. But one that reminded me constantly what I was working towards.

It was still just a dream, but somehow more tangible. Because dreams become possible the moment you give them form. Today, I have a message for the teenagers of 2026. If you imagine yourself at Brisbane 2032, now is the time to make it real.

Some of you are already on that road. You’re still at school, training quietly, squeezing homework between training sessions, trying to work out if this is really possible.

You don’t train for a single moment

What I’ve learned is that you don’t train for a single moment. Most of the time, you’re training without knowing if the moment will come at all.

I see you, getting up early for the sessions no one else sees and on the days when you don’t feel like it but do the work anyway.

So much of the work happens long before anyone is watching. The physical training is demanding, but the mental and emotional side is just as important.

I remember getting up at dawn and paddling on the Nepean River, pushing hard with my dad before school. I didn’t love these mornings - they were a mental battle - but I knew deep down they were building blocks for something bigger.

At 16, I felt the pressure of racing at a major championship for the first time. It wasn’t about winning. It was about doing my best and racing to my potential.

There is something special about being young and hungry with nothing to lose. Taking it step by step, making progress and getting closer to making that dream feel real.

Qualifying for London 2012

Qualifying for London 2012 was always going to be hard. I was the youngest, there was only one spot available, and I was also studying for my HSC.

That piece of paper on my wall became my anchor. On the mornings I didn’t want to get up, it stared back at me: how badly do you want this?

Sport taught me more than how to paddle fast. It taught me resilience, discipline, goal setting, time management and reflection. That scrap of paper became a powerful tool in visualisation and commitment.

I worked incredibly hard. I had the support of wonderful teachers. I finished school with a result I was proud of and a few months later, I was on the start line in London.

I was so proud to represent my country and to do my best. That day, my best earned me a silver medal.

I remember thinking back to that piece of paper and laughing - imagine if I’d written “Gold, London 2012”?

Doubts, fear and pressure

Dreaming big is powerful. But for every medal I’ve won, I’ve felt just as much doubt, fear, injury and pressure. I’ve gone into races as the favourite and made a mistake in the last five seconds of the course.

I’ve missed competitions because of injury. I’ve cried from disappointment, anxiety, frustration and pain.

Each time I didn’t get the result I wanted, I had to reframe what success looked like at that point.

What is this meant to teach me? Every setback is an opportunity for growth, even if you can’t see it straight away. It’s about staying with it, learning and finding a way to take the next step. And it’s OK to have a cry along the way.

No one does this alone. I’m sure you already know that behind every athlete is a network holding them up. I’m so grateful to my team - my family who love me beyond the finish line, friends who understand I’ll miss key moments but cherish me anyway, coaches who push me to the limits, physios who put me back together when I’m broken, sport psychologists who remind me we are human. It’s important to be supported when you’re doing well, but also to let people in and be vulnerable when you’re struggling.

Without those people, I would not have made it to the Paris Games ready to race.

When you share your dream, you bring people along for the ride. Not everyone will believe in you. But you will find your tribe. And the most important thing is that you believe in yourself.

A time to test yourself

Once every four years, we get the chance to walk into the arena and test everything we’ve built - our resilience, our courage, our belief.

Yes, the medals we win and how fast or how far we go matters, but what truly lasts is the spark we ignite in others and the way we make them feel.

Right now, kids across Australia are watching, dreaming and believing they could be next. Six years out from a home Games, what you do now matters. The habits you form, the mindset you build and the support you have around you will shape what’s possible on race day.

That’s why it matters that athletes are backed early and consistently, so they have the chance to keep building towards something that might still feel a long way away.

Many of the athletes who will define Brisbane 2032 aren’t household names yet.

By the time we get to 2032, what we’ll be watching won’t just be a single moment. It will be the result of years of work that no one saw. And for those of you already on that journey - focus on what’s right in front of you. The next session, the next race, the next opportunity to grow.

Not every result will go your way, and that’s part of it. How you keep showing up will make all the difference.

Now it’s your turn to dream big. And pin your dream to your bedroom wall.

Jess Fox OAM is a four-time Olympian, Australia’s most decorated canoe slalom athlete and the reigning Olympic champion in both the women’s C1 and K1.

This article first appeared in The Courier Mail and is reproduced with permission.