Australian society has always reflected a diversity of talent and the sporting world has always been well represented in this.
To inspire the next generation, an increasing number of high achievers are being invited to speak to Katoomba High School students about their path to success.
One recent visitor was Olympian Jessica Fox, who addressed the school as a part of a new program called Refuel.
Refuel is intended to inspire students, providing a forum for the development of strategies which will help encourage resilience and success.
Fox won a silver in the K1 kayak competition in the London games of 2012 and a bronze at Rio last year.
Fox, who attended Blaxland High School, spoke to students about the importance of sport as part of her HSC study program. For her, it was a matter of finding the right balance between sport and study.
She was able to continue her focus on HSC study by continuing to use sport as an outlet for stress and a way of finetuning her skills.
When asked about the reasons for her success, she spoke about the importance of goal setting and effort. Fox emphasised that students should be clear about their goals and be passionate about this.
Fox is now focused on the next Olympics in Tokyo, with the gold medal set in her sights.