It's been over two decades since Jessica and Noemie Fox were sitting on the Penrith Whitewater Stadium hill with an ice-cream and Susie O'Neill doll in hand.
Now they're months away from paddling for a world championship gold medal at that same venue.
The Whitewater Stadium is where the two sisters learnt how to weave and wind their way through fast-moving rapids, where they felt inspired after watching Australians take home gold medals, and where they hope to continue turning heads towards their sport.
Come September, the Olympic gold medallists will get to show the world their second home.
The slalom worlds are the first step towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where the two sisters are aiming to clean sweep the canoe and kayak slalom events as they did in Paris last year.
The canoe slalom events won't be held in California, and instead at an existing venue in Oklahoma City, with the location also hosting next year's world championships.
"The LA cycle has already started - year one, (this year is a) big benchmark, next year we go to the LA venue in Oklahoma," said three-time Olympic gold medallist Jessica.
"Then it's 2027, a pre-Olympic qualifying year, so it rolls around really quickly, each year counts.
"Seeing that there's 200 days (until the world championships) it feels real.
"The last time we were counting down it was for the Olympics. You feel that excitement, that pressure, and the intensity start to mount."
It's been an whirlwind for the Fox sisters since Paris, with both winning Australian hearts after sweeping one-sixth of the overall gold medal haul.
Noemie and Jessica both credit their dad Richard Fox, a ten-time world champion as part of the reason Australia has a paddling culture.
The Fox's father lobbied hard for canoeing to be kept in the Sydney 2000 Olympics and raised funds for the Penrith Whitewater Stadium to be built.
Noemie said that to represent Australia at a home world titles would mean a lot to her family.
"We have such a deep emotional attachment to that venue. To have a home world championships is something very unique and special," said the 27-year-old, who made her Olympics debut in Paris.
"We stayed at that venue, grew up at that venue, it's where I learned to paddle, and now I'm an Olympic champion from that.
Jessica also added that she remembered the intensity of the crowd as they cheered on her idol Robin Bell in Sydney 2000, despite being five years old at that time.
"I remember the crowd and how massive and incredible it was," she said.
"In 2005, I had started paddling. It was an inspiring moment for us to see Robin Bell win gold and 20 years on, we get to have that opportunity and all those past athletes, they'll be there so it'll be really exciting."
