She’s better known for carving the course of a canoe or slalom competition, but next month ex-Blaxland High student and Olympian, Jessica Fox, will be one of ten celebrity contestants taking on the Hell’s Kitchen challenge.
In the TV kitchen with host Marco Pierre White, the youngest chef to achieve three Michelin stars and a host on MasterChef, she will be joined by, among others, Bachelorette Sam Frost, House Husbands’ Lincoln Lewis, former Australian NRL player Willie Mason, One Nation founder David Oldfield, WAG Candice Falzon and Real Housewife of Melbourne‘s Pettifleur Berrenger.
The 23-year-old from Leonay won an Olympic silver medal in London 2012 in the K1. Four years later in Rio 2016 she took home the bronze medal in the same event.
Fox said she chose “Hells” because it “was an exciting opportunity and a new challenge”.
Her French grandmother had inspired her to improve her basic cooking skills, but she didn’t have a lot of experience in the kitchen.
“I only did food tech in Year 8 or Year 7, I can’t quite remember … [but] my grandma is a fantastic cook and I’ve always attempted to cook like her but never succeeded. Generally I keep it simple and healthy so my cooking skills are basic.”
The filming was completed in April this year, during a break in her sporting commitments.
“It was a break in the competition period, but I would normally be training. I wasn’t able to train much at all – maybe one session a week on the water, but I did some maintenance work in the gym and some cardio and strength most days.
Before the show started her “go-to” meal was chilli con carne.
“As an athlete I cook healthy but basic meals. In Hell’s Kitchen I learned a lot about the process and doing the little things well, time management and simple tricks to add more flavour”.
Fox said the show “was unlike anything I've experienced”.
“I got an insight into the reality TV world. I found the first few days quite hard, but I got the hang of it eventually. It's very tough but we had so much fun and it was a great group of people to work with. The whole crew were great and actually there were a few ex-Blaxland High students who were all part of the camera crew.”
Not that the show didn’t live up to its name.
”At times [it was hell]. There was yelling, screaming, crying, spills, burns...”
In the show Fox and the other celebrities face skills-based and location challenges, plus the added pressure of serving up a complete dinner service at the Hell’s Kitchen restaurant for more than 70 people.
She hopes to raise funds and awareness for the charity Lifestart, where she is an ambassador.
“It’s a small organisation that is growing and impacting lives of children (and their family) living with a disability such as autism or Down syndrome, providing early intervention, school support and services and specialised therapy”.
Fox is now in Europe preparing for the world championships.
The show airs on August 6 on Seven