WSU Graduate Student swimmer Jordan Fox and her family.

Women's Swimming & Diving 1/17/2024 8:41:00 AM Keilyn Carpenter, WSU Sports Information Student Assistant

Swimmer Jordan Fox Excelling In The Pool and In The Classroom

Editors Note: With the men's and women's swimming and diving programs celebrating Senior Day this Saturday (January 20th), we thought it appropriate to write about one of the seniors.

By Keilyn Carpenter, WSU Sports Information Student Assistant

Jordan Fox didn't consider attending an American college as she entered her senior year of high school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

It wasn't until about halfway through her senior year when a friend mentioned he was going to college in the States, that Fox learned swimming while earning a college education was an option.

Very intrigued by the idea, the graduate student created a recruiting profile, and Wayne State men's and women's swimming head coach Sean Peters began recruiting Fox.

"We put together a criteria of the top 10 things. Wayne was the school that ticked all of them," Fox said about why she chose Wayne State.

The move to America was not the first continental hop for Fox. She was born and raised in South Africa before moving to Australia when she was 13.

The opportunity to earn a degree while doing what she loves was exciting, but it didn't come without some fear and anxiety.

Her second major move was harder than the first. Of course, leaving South Africa and her friends was not easy, but she had her family. Leaving her family and navigating Detroit on her own was much different.

"My mom always said, Jordan if you don't like it you can always come home."

But she didn't move home. Instead, she has been a Warrior for nearly half a decade and has cemented her name in the Warrior record books.

Fox immediately made an impact in the pool. As a freshman, she was a six-time All-GLIAC swimmer, was named the GLIAC Freshman of the Year, and was a four-time First Team All-American.

"I think that was probably her freshman year at GLIACs," Peters said, about when he knew Fox would be great.

The success as a freshman did not come without learning curves. In Australia, races are measured in meters in the U.S. they are measured in yards.

"People were like that's a really good time. I was like I don't even know what that means," Jordan said about not knowing what a good time for a race measured in yards was.

Fox's success as a Warrior was put on pause when COVID-19 interrupted the end of her first year and her entire second year. She opted out of competing in her sophomore season and headed home to Australia.

She of course kept swimming back in Australia. But instead of training for GLIACs, she was training for the Australian Olympic trials.

For Fox, competing at the Olympic trials was less about the outcome and more about the experience.

"It was a really good experience to swim next to some of the Australian Olympians."

As the restrictions of the pandemic lifted Fox moved back to Detroit and resumed her domination in the pool.

During her redshirt sophomore and junior seasons, Fox was a 14-time All-GLIAC honoree, winning three GLIAC titles and an 11-time All-American recipient. Fox was named the Wayne State University Female Student-Athlete of the Year after the 2021-22 season.

For Fox, the goal has never been to win another award or even place first in a race. Every day, her goal is to better herself and hit a personal best time.

"To me, those are added bonuses, I guess. For me, I wanted to go best times, and I went best times. That was my only goal." Fox said about having three podium finishes and setting three school records at the 2023 Nationals.

Accompanying the abundance of athletic awards are several academic accolades. Including the 2021-22 GLIAC Commissioner's Award for outstanding academic and athletic achievement.

Just like the medals did not come without a profusion of training, the above-average grades did not come without great effort. Moreover, just like swimming, Fox's hard work in the classroom is not about the outcome but about giving 110% in everything she does.

"If I do something, it has to be done to perfection."

Fox found the transition from high school to college relatively easy when it came to time management and balancing a full course load while training.

"Back home them (school and swim) being so separate, I think I managed to find good time management in between getting homework done and still being able to swim. Which I think was easy to transition into college where here you're so supported that it's a little bit easier."

Fox graduated with a bachelor's in Accounting in May 2023 and is set to graduate with her master's at the end of the current semester.

Fox's internal fortitude has been in the driver's seat for her success. But the support she has received has been essential in her journey.

Fox shared appreciation for the support of the athletic community, her professors, her friends, her coaches, and her teammates. Most importantly for the never-ending support from her family. Whether it's flying across the world to be at a race in person or waking up at 3 a.m. to livestream an event, Fox knows her parents will be there.

As the end of this chapter approaches, the self-motivation and support from her inner circle are bound to help Fox succeed in the next phase of life.

Swimming of course is a part of the next chapter.

"I want to try and keep swimming for a while. I really enjoy the sport."

Fox wants to give the Olympics one more shot. This time, however, she wants to go to the South Africa Olympic trials. Fox also wants to compete in the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games.

Outside of swimming, Fox's goal is to be a CPA for one of the Big Four accounting firms, applying the hard work and time management she has learned as a student-athlete.

While it is exciting to think about what's next, Fox is not done cherishing the present and enjoying the journey thus far.

"I'm taking it in as it goes, but learning to have fun," Fox noted, about not letting her desire for perfection outweigh the fun in the journey.

Jordan is not the only one cherishing her lasts. Coach Peters is as well.

Of course, he loves the competitor she is and the mountain tops she has reached. But that is not what he will miss most.

"I'm going to miss our chats, I'm going to miss seeing her on the pool deck, and I'm going to miss the highest highs and the times she needs the extra boosts."

As Fox plans for the future and cherishes the present she is also able to reflect on the past. At a young age, she told her mom she would rather wake up at 5 a.m. to swim than play any other sport.

Making that decision to fully commit to swimming at a young age has paid off.

"I don't think she would think she would be here at nine years old. But I think she would be pretty happy and pretty proud about where she is today," Fox said about what the little girl who fell in love with swimming would think about where she is today.

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Players Mentioned

Jordan Fox: Back/Free; 6' 0"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Jordan Fox
: 6' 0"; Graduate Student
: Back/Free