Jessica: I'm not a Dame at home... I'm Mum

Athletics legend happy to be in slower lane as parent

- BY NIKKI ONAFUYE

Nine years after retiring from elite athletics, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill remains one of Britain's most adored sporting legends, known for her top performances on the track, not least her 2012 Olympic heptathlon gold.

Nowadays her life looks a bit different, as she works to inspire the next generation of sporting stars while enjoying "taking a step back" to embrace motherhood.

In fact, to Reggie, 11, and Olivia, eight, her kids with construction site manager husband Andy Hills, her title means nothing.

Jessica, 39, says: "They don't really care that I'm 'Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill'. To them I'm just Mum. Kids don't really evaluate their parents through the lens of career achievements. One day they will, I'm sure!"

For the three-time world champion, it was important to step away from the track on her own terms.

She says: "I retired when I wanted to retire. I was ready after the last Olympics [2016]. It was like... starting the next phase of my life."