Jessica Fox Red Bull FOCUS Series Interview

Jessica Fox Red Bull FOCUS Series Interview

Ever wondered what motivates world-class athletes to succeed? Or what drives champions to break personal records and refuse to give up until they achieve glory?

On Friday 30th January, the hugely popular FOCUS 6-part series returns, this time taking us behind the slick veneer of 12 different sports stars including Ryan Sheckler, Daniel Ricciardo, Mark Mathews and Courtney Atkinson. Check out the series trailer here.

Launching on Red Bull TV, FOCUS Series 2 provides rare, never-before seen glimpses into the everyday battles, rituals, crises and torments of some of the most successful international athletes on the planet.

The first episode of FOCUS Series 2 – which premieres on Friday 30th January and is available to watch for 3 months – centres around -belief.' As the episode uncovers, being an athlete is much more than achievements on the world stage; for Australian yachtsman James -Jimmy' Spithill and two-time Australian Paralympian medalist Kelly Cartwright, it's a lifestyle - and a damn hard one.

Click through to view and embed episode trailers for all episodes on www.redbull.com.au/focus


What drives the world's top athletes?

Watch episode GLORY exclusively on Red Bull TV from Friday 6th March Many have sought glory, but only a select few ever attain it, and for child prodigies Daniel Ricciardo and Jessica Fox, they're under more pressure than most to prove a life's worth of hype.

In FOCUS Series 1, we took you into the lives of Mick Fanning, Robbie Maddison, Mark Webber and nine more of the world's most coveted athletes. And the second series of Red Bull Media House's FOCUS delves deep into the athlete conscious all over again, uncovering the essence of what it's like to be a world-beating athlete direct from the mouths of the competitors themselves.

Raw and emotional, FOCUS Series 2 takes the public behind the slick veneer of 12 more of the most successful athletes on the planet, to shine a light on the everyday battles, the shadow of retirement and the driving force that inspires them to keep beating the odds.

Glory. Every athlete chases it, but when presented with an opportunity to seize it with the burden of expectation upon his or her shoulders, how one reacts will define whether or not they attain it. And in the cases of Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo and Olympic canoeist Jessica Fox, making the leap from child prodigy to realising their potential often appears as the biggest hurdle.

In the sixth and final episode of Red Bull Media House's FOCUS Series 2, Ricciardo and Fox are faced with an opportunity to unshackle themselves from the title of 'young guns" and elevate to established world-class forces in their respective disciplines.

Fox, the 20-year-old who grew up in the rapids of Penrith's Whitewater Olympic Stadium, has already won an Olympic silver medal. But what she really wants is to become the first Under-23 competitor to hold both the kayak and canoe world titles simultaneously.

While for Ricciardo, 2015 comes as a year to prove his ability on the blacktop, in not just a competitive car, but the most coveted seat in Formula 1 – at Red Bull Racing.

An Olympic silver medal at age 18 can present an opportunity to go out on top and pursue new dreams, or it can fan the flames for all-out international glory.

For Jessica Fox, the unexpected victory in the K1 at the London Olympics did the latter. As the episode shows, with her 20th birthday in sight she wants nothing more than to celebrate by becoming the first person in the world to hold both the K1 and C1 Under-23 titles simultaneously.

In a sport where most contest only a single category, Jessica already has pressure enough on her shoulders. But the fact the event is at her home course makes the task all the more daunting. She's an out-and-out favourite in both events but the questions remains, can she handle the pressure and the physical demand on her body to achieve glory in front of her friends, family and the world?

While Formula 1 couldn't be further away from kayaking, Ricciardo finds himself in almost exactly the same boat – figuratively speaking.

A humble 23-year-old from Western Australia, Ricciardo has spent the past two and half seasons competing for Red Bull's less competitive sister team Toro Rosso, where he proved himself a supreme talent in an under-performing car.

It was enough to earn him the most coveted seat in Formula 1, but like Fox, he's faced with home crowd expectations with his debut race for Red Bull Racing in Melbourne, Australia.

Worse yet, he shares a garage with reigning and four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel who many consider one of the top-five best drivers in F1 history. How will he handle the pressure? And can he be the one to bring home the glory for Red Bull ahead of the greatest driver of the modern era?

A Red Bull Media House production realised by Milkmoney Films, FOCUS Series 2 takes us inside the minds of these very athletes for a unique and confronting look into the complicated lives of professional athletes, young and old.

Click here to view Jessica's episode -Glory'.

Interview with Jessica Fox

Question: What inspired you to take part in the Red Bull FOCUS Series?

Jessica Fox: I watched the first series of FOCUS and absolutely loved it so when I was asked if I wanted to take part in series 2, I was so excited. The series features some incredible athletes and I am always inspired hearing other athletes' stories and what they go through in their sport. It was an awesome experience working with Red Bull Media House and Milkmoney Films on this project and I can't wait for everyone to see the finished product.


Question: What can we expect from your video?

Jessica Fox: I share the episode with Red Bull Racing Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo and our theme is Glory. I guess it's a look into what makes me tick... dreams, goals, pressures, expectations and challenges in my quest for glory. The series gives an insight into the minds of athletes; their preparations, strength in tough times and overcoming adversity. It asked me some tough questions that made me open up and reveal things I'd never put into words before. It was, in a way, an eye opener on my performance and preparation because it made me focus and evaluate myself and what I do. It was an awesome experience. You can catch my episode, Glory, from 6 March on Red Bull TV.

Question: Was it your parents who inspired you to begin canoing?

Jessica Fox: Both my parents used to compete in the sport so naturally they have had a big impact on my career. I didn't like it at first though. It wasn't until I was 11 and tried it again on the whitewater rapids with a friend that I really started to enjoy it.


Question: Can you talk us through your training schedule?

Jessica Fox: I train six days a week and do quite a variety of training. I train three times a week in the gym doing strength exercises - a lot of upper body, core and lower back/glute work. I train five or six times on the whitewater rapids doing technical training and twice on the flatwater for more physical work. I also run a couple of times a week too.


Question: How difficult is it to overcome training challenges?

Jessica Fox: There are a number of different challenges that I come across; challenges on the water struggling with technical moves, or the rapids itself, or challenges completely out of my control like the weather or breaking equipment, or it could be physical and mental challenges and those are the worst because you have to overcome your physical or mental fatigue and dig deeper to keep pushing. I like to take a moment to just breathe and refocus and self-talk to encourage and motivate myself. Sometimes my coach will be there to do that and obviously having support from friends and family helps a lot when you have challenges like injury or deception after events.


Question: How important is your diet to training?

Jessica Fox: I guess the saying goes you get out of your body what you put in and its really important to fuel your body well for it to perform to its best ability. I dont follow a strict diet as such but I do make sure I eat a balanced diet and cover all food groups - with the occasional treat.


Question: Can you talk us through your kayak and canoe goals?
Jessica Fox: My immediate goals are to get fitter and stronger ahead of this year's world championships. I have goals to improve my technique so that when it comes to racing it is bomb proof. The major events for me this year are the U23 World Championships, the World Cup Series and the World Championships - and I am aiming for podium finishes at these events in both my categories (kayak and canoe). I also have the 2016 Olympics in my sights and that would have to be my dream goal at this stage. I am training hard to make that team to represent Australia at the 2016 Olympics.


Question: What's next, for you?

Jessica Fox: A busy year of racing starting with Brazil in April for the U23 World Championships, then to Europe for some training and then I'm home for the Wings for Life World Run in Melbourne on 3 May. I will then head back to Europe from June till September for World Cup events throughout Europe and finally the main event - the World Championships in London in September. So what's next for me is lots of travelling, training and racing... doing what I love!


Interview by Brooke Hunter