This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

Hey, Aren't You That Famous Person Who Won That Thing?

Gold medallist Chloe Esposito gets asked the silliest questions.
Hey, I know you! You're that person who... ummm... who are you again?
City2Sea
Hey, I know you! You're that person who... ummm... who are you again?

Chloe Esposito is the funniest, chirpiest person you'll talk to this week. What a fun lady. Esposito, you'll recall, is the Aussie who won modern pentathlon gold at the Rio Olympics. You remember that, right? Right. (Here's the video if you don't.)

And here's a GIF of the medal ceremony when everyone cried. This is pretty much our favourite thing from the Rio games.

The thing is, while most of us remember that yeah, an Aussie won, um, that weird event at the Olympics which we don't really understand but which we thoroughly enjoyed watching, not everyone who meets Esposito joins the dots.

Esposito, 25, works part time at the Sydney International Shooting Centre, where she describes her role as "selling ammo and teaching people how to shoot". From time to time, people come in with a quizzical look on their face.

"Quite often people come in and say 'I've seen your face somewhere'," Esposito told The Huffington Post Australia. "I don't go out of my way to tell people who I am. I just leave it at that."

Just last week, a guy came in for a shooting lesson and asked Esposito what she did for a job. "I'm an athlete," she replied.

"What sport?"

"Modern pentathlon."

"Oh, we won a gold medal in that, didn't we."

Like we said, Esposito normally plays it cool in these kinds of conversations. But on this occasion, for whatever reason, she couldn't resist.

"Yeah, that was me," she said.

The poor guy just about fell over with embarrassment.

The Huffington Post Australia caught up with Esposito for a chat this week, and started by asking her the totally pointless question we've been asking athletes all year.

Ant: Hi Chloe. So you're not expecting this question, but who would win a fight between a kangaroo and an emu?

Chloe: I would say the emu could run away faster, but I just have a feeling the kangaroo would win if it got hold of it.

Ant: So last week as you'll recall, I called you to ask your impression of the Australian Olympic Committee's announcement that gold medallists from Rio would receive $20,000. And you hadn't heard yet, which was pretty funny.

Chloe: Yeah, it was cool. Thanks for telling me. I wouldn't have known if you hadn't called.

If they gave gold medals for smiles, she'd have two.
Getty Images
If they gave gold medals for smiles, she'd have two.

Ant: No problem. You made me feel like a game show host. But you need every dollar, right?

Chloe: Yeah, I took a casual job [at the shooting centre] before I left for Rio because I didn't think any of this would happen. So I thought I might as well apply for a job now. I'm working there casually now.

Ant: Many Olympians work the public speaking circuit when they come back with a medal, especially a gold medal. Have you done that?

Chloe: I have. I've actually been crazy busy with talks, media commitments, corporate events, presenting awards. It's been nice getting a little financial gain because before the Olympics, mum and dad were still putting their hands in their pocket. It's quite sad that I was 24 or 25 and I was still asking mum and dad for money to go to the shops.

Ant: We don't think it's sad. We're just glad you had the dedication to stick to the sport you love. Have any sponsors come on board?

Chloe: No, no one's really come through with anything. I don't know what it is with me, I'm not sure.

WE INTERRUPT THIS ARTICLE TO MAKE A PLEA TO CORPORATE AUSTRALIA TO SUPPORT THE MOST LIKEABLE AUSTRALIAN ATHLETE ON OUR WHOLE OLYMPIC TEAM. AND YES, SHE'S PRESSING ON TO TOKYO 2020. THANK YOU.

Ant: What else have you been up to since you came home? Back in training?

Chloe: I just did the City2Sea race in Melbourne. I died a bit. It's 15 kilometres and the last 15 kays were hard because I haven't run over 10 kays in a while.

Chloe survived the Westpac City2Sea, sponsored by the Westpac Foundation -- a not-for-profit organisation that creates opportunities for Australia's most disadvantaged people.
Mark Dadswell
Chloe survived the Westpac City2Sea, sponsored by the Westpac Foundation -- a not-for-profit organisation that creates opportunities for Australia's most disadvantaged people.

Ant: And I understand you'll be based here in Australia for a while now. But before Rio, you spent most of your time training in Hungary? HUNGARY??? Why Hungary?

Chloe: They've just had a really strong tradition in pentathlon ever since it started. They've had a lot of gold medallists and the sport is very popular there. People in the pentathlon community there will be really excited for me, so I might have to go back for a visit in 2017 just to say thank you to everybody.

Ant: I've heard Hungarian is the hardest language in the world and that it has no real linguistic cousins. Language-wise, it's an orphan. So how's your Hungarian? Can you say something for me?

Chloe: No, because every time I try to say something, if it's not pronounced 100 percent correctly, nobody understands you.

Ant: Go on, just one little thing.

Chloe: Köszönöm szépen. It means "thank you".

Note to readers: We just typed a version of the above into Google Translate to find out how to spell it. If you copy and paste the words "Köszönöm szépen", you can see how to pronounce it. Eek!

Ant: OK, take us back to the pentathlon in Rio. You'd done the swimming, the fencing, the show jumping. The points had been converted into a time handicap and you started the combined running and pistol shooting event in seventh place.

Chloe: Combined is my strongest event. I'd trained for it so much and I always knew I'd move up a few places, it just depends how many. The shooting was all about rhythm, rhythm and rhythm. Then when I took off in front, I knew they couldn't catch me because they were too far away and I just sort of thought 'oh my god'.

She definitely knew she'd won it at this point.
AFP/Getty Images
She definitely knew she'd won it at this point.

Ant: Athletes always say 'it hasn't sunk in yet'. Has it?

Chloe: Each day it sinks in more and more. This week at a primary school I was watching the video and I got tears watching myself crossing the line. Sometimes I'm at work and I start smiling to myself [thinking about the gold medal]. People probably think I'm just a big freak.

Ant: Well we don't think you're a freak, Chloe. We think you're awesome. Thanks so much for chatting to us here at the Huffington Post Australia.

Chloe: Thanks, Ant.

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