'The two people I was desperate to meet at Melbourne Cup had nothing to do with racing'

There were only two people I really wanted to meet at the Melbourne Cup, and they had nothing to do with racing.

There's no denying 2024 has been the year of women's sport, from Emma McKeon becoming the most decorated Australian Olympian in history, to Australian women athletes dominating the podiums at Paris 2024.

So it felt fitting that the two women I was desperate to bump into on Cup Day were Ariarne Titmus and Jessica Fox.

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They're two of the most influential women in the country right now and not just for their incredible athletic prowess.

Titmus, 24, recently shared with 9honey that she's passionate about advocating for women's health and wants to use her influence to do more in that space.

"It's not just about me performing on the world stage as an athlete. I have a platform where I can truly help people," she said.

"If that can help one woman out there, that's special to me."

Meanwhile Fox, 30, is doing her part to show the girls and women who look up to her that they're all worth it.

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She confessed to 9honey that she grew up hating her most iconic feature, her curly hair, but now embraces all of her features and every unique aspect of herself and wants others to do the same.

"I have so many factors to myself. Yes, I'm the athlete, I'm fierce and I'm focused on the water, but I can also be feeling feminine and glamorous," she said.

These are the role models the next generation of Australian women aspire to be like and it's so powerful to see them front and centre on Cup Day, both in bold red frocks made to be seen.

Titmus was incredibly gracious when I asked for a selfie between all her marquee appearances, as was Fox, who raced off to interview none other than Ronan Keating afterwards.

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It just goes to show they're still kind, down-to-earth women even with all their star power – and that you can be a successful, celebrated female athlete as well as a fashion icon.

Women in sport are finally getting their well-deserved moment in the spotlight and I just know it's going to inspire a whole new generation of female athletes to take up swimming, canoeing, AFLW, NRLW, the list goes on.

And I for one can't wait to see what they achieve in the wake of what women like Titmus and Fox have already done.

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