More than 450 Australian athletes from 33 sports, including 231 debutants, are currently in France to compete in the biggest competition of their lives, the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Incredibly, 11 of those inspirational Aussies competing in the French capital over the next two weeks have a special local connection either through birth, residency, school, training base or club.
From July 26 to August 11, the Weekender encourages you to gather up your green and gold and cheer on your local athletes to glory.
Perhaps the biggest local name, competing at her fourth consecutive Olympics, is Canoe Slalom superstar Jessica Fox.
The 30-year-old, who has won four Olympic medals since 2012 including Gold, hails from Leonay and trains at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium. Jessica will be looking to add to her personal medal tally when she contests three events in Paris – the Women’s K1, Women’s C1 and Kayak Cross. Last weekend Jessica, who was born in France before immigrating to Australia as a child, had the honour of carrying the Olympic torch on its journey through Paris.
Joining Jessica on the whitewater will be her younger sister Noemie Fox, who will be competing at her very first Olympic Games. The 27-year-old Leonay resident and Western Sydney Whitewater Club member will tackle the new Women’s Kayak Cross event alongside her older sibling. If things line up, there’s a big chance both Fox sisters could go head-to-head down the tricky Parisian course.
Also making his Olympic debut in Paris is 26-year-old Canoe Slalom paddler Tristan Carter. Born in Victoria but training out of Penrith Whitewater Stadium, Carter will compete in the Men’s C1 and Kayak Cross events when competition gets underway.
Fellow Victorian paddler Tim Anderson will also make his Olympic debut on the Parisian whitewater. The 30-year-old, who trains at Penrith Whitewater Stadium and is a member of the Western Sydney Whitewater Club, will battle it out in the hotly contested Men’s K1 and Kayak Cross events.
Competing at a jaw-dropping fifth Olympic Games is Penrith-born diver Melissa Wu. The 32-year-old from western Sydney will be aiming for her third Olympic medal in Paris when she contests the Women’s 10m Platform and Women’s Synchronised 10m Platform.
Another well-known local set to compete at back-to-back Games’ is basketballer Josh Green. The 23-year-old, who won Bronze in Tokyo with the Boomers, is a Penrith Basketball junior. Recently traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA, Green is expected to get plenty of game time for Australia over the next fortnight.
Lastly, five local female rowers, who train out of the Hancock Prospecting National Training Centre on the banks of the Nepean River, will be aiming for a medal in Paris.
37-year-old Sarah Hawe from Mulgoa will be competing at her second Olympic Games. Hawe will be contesting the Women’s Eight event alongside 32-year-old Lucy Stephan and 30-year-old Katrina Werry. The Penrith residents will be competing at their third and second Olympics respectively.
28-year-old Olympia Aldersey will also be competing at her third Olympics in Paris. Born in South Australia, the now Penrith resident will be rowing in the Women’s Four event.
And lastly, hoping to do Penrith proud in the Women’s Pair event is local resident Annabelle McIntyre. The 27-year-old from Western Australia will be rowing in her second straight Olympics when competition gets underway.
The Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics will screen live at 3am this Saturday morning on Channel Nine.
Make sure you visit the Western Weekender website and social media channels throughout the duration of the Games for up-to-date information on our athletes.
Nathan Taylor
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender's Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.