Ambon, Ancol, Bali, Batam, Bangka, Belitung, Kuala Lumpur, Lombok, Phuket, and more pockets of paradise. Throughout the past three years of service as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant and English Language Fellow in Indonesia, Jessica Fox has set foot on all these islands to compete in and train for triathlons throughout Southeast Asia.
Her true love of the sport began at age 2 in the chilly waters and open roads of Michigan, but true commitment to the sport and strides of success happened alongside of colleagues in the English Language Fellow program as well as the Jakarta-based Triathlon Buddies training club. Jessica has enjoyed surprising success in the Southeast Asian competitions due to her dedication as well as a slight height advantage.
More lasting than the certificates and plastic trophies are the minds and muscles of those whom Jessica has impacted through her love of the sport. Jessica has interacted with various slices of Indonesian society—from military and police commanders of local mountain biking clubs; Jakarta-based executives, entrepreneurs and past Olympic athletes; to the young school children who challenge her to sprint races on their one-speed trick bikes. She has made presentations on the topics of women, sports, and triathlons to university-level English and sports education students in Palembang and Ambon, U.S. Department of State Access program high school students in Jakarta, and the america cultural center in Jakarta. She has also made guest visits to sports education swimming classes to offer motivation and technical assistance with beginner swimmers.
These presentations and daily training sessions fulfill various aspects of the United States mission to Indonesia: to open minds to new possibilities, to challenge extreme perceptions and assumptions, and to encourage continued educational exchanges and positive face-to-face encounters