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If you’ve been watching the Olympics, you’ll have caught Olympic champion Dame Jess Ennis Hill smashing the BBC live coverage. A two-time Olympic medalist specialising in the heptathlon and 100 metres hurdles, she won gold at the London Olympic games in 2012 and has forged a career for herself as a presenter since her athletic retirement in 2016.
Below, she shares her biggest life lessons and career highlights, as well as reflecting on there being more mums on Team GB than ever before and the measures the Olympic Committee has taken to make sure said athletes are supported more than ever before, including dedicated breastfeeding areas. She also discusses her own experience of starting a family mid-career when it wasn’t the “done thing” with Health Writer Kimberley Dadds.
While you’re here, do check out the rest of our Women in Sport special, where we profile other inspirational athletes at the top of their game. We’ve got a cover interview with Team GB sprinters Daryll Neita and Laviai Nielsen, plus 16 fun facts about the athletes. Elsewhere in the issue, we’ve got features on this being the first ever gender equal Olympics, why mothers are underestimated in sport, and the lack of research into female athletic performance, not to mention a rundown of the most iconic Olympic fashion moments throughout history.
Jess Ennis Hill chats motherhood, menstrual cycles and investing in workout kit that makes you feel great
1. Supporting athlete mums is essential – and we’re moving in the right direction
“Having had my son and then come back into the sport, I know how incredibly hard it is [to have children mid-carer] and the challenges that you face. To see more athletes feeling that they have the option to do that makes me really proud – it’s not just you have your career, then you retire, then you start a family.”
“I think there’s more awareness about supporting athletes who want to start their families during their career and each sport is slowly adapting. They’ve even got a breastfeeding facility within the Paris Games.”
“Before I thought about having a family, it didn’t seem like an option for me. It was the worst thing that could happen to have a baby during your career – everyone always did it afterwards. But we’ve seen it in a range of sports now – tennis, track and field, and other sports – where women have started their family and come back to winning and [being] at the top of their sport. That’s hugely inspiring for other young girls coming into sport.”
2. And women are getting the recognition they deserve in sport, too
“The last couple of years, particularly with the success of the Lionesses team, we’ve seen a real change in the way we consume women’s sport, the way it’s marketed and how much attention it gets. Young girls are seeing more female athletes represented, and for them to feel that there’s an opportunity – and not just an opportunity – but also a career and a life within sport, which perhaps hasn’t been that way in previous years – is fantastic.”
“Athletes getting the support from governing bodies, sponsors and brands is really important, though. When you’re an athlete, you’re heavily reliant on your income through your sponsors and federation there’s no grey area.”
“Athletes need clearer guidance on what they’re entitled to, how they’re going to be supported, and essentials like maternity packages, though – you get these in other companies outside of sports. That way, as a woman, you feel that you’re supported.”
3. Working out around your menstrual cycle can be incredibly empowering
“I started my app, Jennis, as I wanted to start [the conversation around training and your cycle] and keep it going. Things have changed since I was competing, but having my son during my career opened my eyes to how much you change as a woman through different life phases – not to mention how much isn’t understood about female athletes and how their bodies change during the monthly cycle, after having kids and before kids.”
“I think there’s just a lack of funding, understanding, education and research done in the area, which is obviously a really key part of all women’s lives.”
“You can’t change when your period’s going to come, but you can have a strategy in place. Maybe you need to hydrate a bit more, or maybe your numbers and training are going to vary a little bit. It just gives that bigger context.”
4. She’s long been a fan of Keeley Hodgkinson
“For me, [it’s all about] Keely Hodgkinson. I admire the way she’s competed over the past few years – still so young, but just so dynamic on the track and very capable. I think she’s destined for great things.”
5. And she encourage you to invest in some new kit, if you’re lacking motivation to get moving
“I think it’s so important [to make sure you feel good in what you’re wearing to workout in]. You’ve got to feel like your kit fits you well, it’s comfortable, it’s supportive where it needs to be, and it gives you a massive amount of confidence. You don’t want to be worrying about anything.”
“I think if you feel good in your kit, then you’re going to perform well.”
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