FOOTBALL and canoeing may be on opposite ends of the sporting scale, but that didn’t stop Red Bull athlete Jess Fox from inspiring the players of Melbourne’s AFLW side.

The seven-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist spoke to the team via Zoom on Monday night, thanks to club partner Red Bull, who strive to aid elite team performance, helping to give Melbourne players that extra 1%ers to perform at their best.

The talk began with Fox touching on her experiences as an athlete, beginning at her love of sport from a young age, discovering her passion for canoeing, to then going on and becoming the best paddler in the world.

The Demons were given the opportunity to ask the Olympian questions, which proved beneficial to the side as they learned a variation of techniques to help improve preparation skills and mental endurance.

“My relationship with pressure and expectation has changed,” Fox told the group.

“Because I can’t control the results, so I’ve always got to detach from that.”

Engrossed in what Fox had to say about her experience, questions kept flowing as the side made sure to soak up all the knowledge that the Olympian could offer.

As athletes themselves, the players were particularly interested in how performing at their peak can impact their lives, mentally and physically.

When asked how she handles the build-up of emotions ahead of a big event, Fox’s answer was all about the ability to stay in the present and not get caught up in the little details.

“The biggest focus for me has always been emotional management and stress management,” Fox explained.

“But you’ve got to be able to manage that and not get carried away with mistakes that happen, not dwell on them, you’ve got to really stay present.

“Learning how to do that has been really beneficial for me.”

Hear more from the chat with Fox below.