Jessica Ennis-Hill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill
DBE

Ennis-Hill (then "Ennis") at the 2012 London Olympics
Personal information
Birth name	Jessica Ennis
Born	(1986-01-28) 28 January 1986 (age 39) Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
Alma mater	University of Sheffield
Height	1.65 m
Weight	57 kg
Spouse(s)	Andy Hill ​ (m. 2013)​
Sport
Country	Great Britain England
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Heptathlon, Pentathlon, 100 m hurdles
Club	City of Sheffield and Dearne Athletic Club
Turned pro	2005
Coached by	Antonio 'Tony' Minichiello
Retired	2016
Achievements and titles
World finals	2007, 4th 2009, 1 Gold 2011, 1 Gold 2015, 1 Gold
Olympic finals	2012, 1 Gold 2016, 2 Silver
Highest world ranking	Heptathlon: 1 (2009, 2010, 2012)
Personal best(s)	Heptathlon: 6955 points Pentathlon: 4965 points
Medal record Women's athletics Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 1 0 World Championships 3 0 0 World Indoor Championships 1 1 0 European Championships 1 0 0 Commonwealth Games 0 0 1 European Cup Combined Events 2 0 0 Universiade 0 0 1 European U23 Championships 0 0 1 European Junior Championships 1 0 0 Commonwealth Youth Games 0 2 0 Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Heptathlon Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro Heptathlon World Championships Gold 2009 Berlin Heptathlon Gold 2011 Daegu Heptathlon Gold 2015 Beijing Heptathlon World Indoor Championships Gold 2010 Doha Pentathlon Silver 2012 Istanbul Pentathlon European Championships Gold 2010 Barcelona Heptathlon Universiade Bronze 2005 İzmir Heptathlon European U23 Championships Bronze 2007 Debrecen 100 m hurdles European Jnr Championships Gold 2005 Kaunas Heptathlon Representing  England Commonwealth Games Bronze 2006 Melbourne Heptathlon Commonwealth Youth Games Silver 2004 Bendigo 100 m hurdles Silver 2004 Bendigo High jump

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill (born Jessica Ennis on 28 January 1986) is a British athlete who is now retired. She was famous for the heptathlon and 100 metres hurdles. The heptathlon is a competition with seven different events.

Jessica won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. She was also a three-time world champion in 2009, 2011, and 2015. In 2010, she became the European champion. She also won the World Indoor pentathlon title in 2010. A pentathlon has five events.

Jessica was part of the City of Sheffield & Dearne athletic club. She used to hold the British national record for the heptathlon. She also held British records in the 100 metres hurdles, high jump, and indoor pentathlon. After she stopped competing, she started her own fitness apps for women's health. She also sometimes works as a sports commentator for the BBC.

Early Life and How She Started in Sports

Jessica Ennis-Hill was born in Sheffield, England, on 28 January 1986. She has one younger sister named Carmel. Her father, Vinnie Ennis, is from Jamaica and worked as a painter. Her mother, Alison Powell, is English and worked as a social worker. Her parents both enjoyed sports. Her dad used to do sprinting, and her mum liked the high jump.

Her parents first introduced her to athletics in 1996. They took her to a special event at the Don Valley Stadium. Jessica won her first prize there: a pair of trainers! This is where she met Toni Minichiello, who would become her coach for many years.

Jessica loved the sport right away. The next year, when she was 11, she joined the City of Sheffield and Dearne Athletic Club. When she was 14, she won an award for being the best Sheffield athlete at the National Schools Championships. She won the high jump competition there. Jessica went to school in Sheffield and later studied psychology at the University of Sheffield. She graduated in 2007.

Her main coach throughout her career was Toni Minichiello. He coached her from when she was 11 years old. She also got special javelin coaching from Mick Hill, who had won medals himself.

Starting in Junior Competitions

Jessica started competing in athletics when she was very young. In 1999, she took part in high jump and pentathlon events. The next year, when she was 14, she won the AAA Girls high jump title. She jumped 1.70 metres.

In 2001, she was second in the high jump and heptathlon. In 2002, she won the high jump again, clearing 1.80 metres. By 2003, Jessica was one of Britain's best young athletes. She won the indoor pentathlon and the outdoor 100 metres hurdles titles.

In July 2003, Jessica competed at the World Youth Championships in Canada. She was leading after the first day but finished fifth. The next year, in 2004, she competed at the World Junior Championships in Italy. She finished eighth. In late 2004, Jessica won two silver medals at the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games in Australia. She won them in the 100 metres hurdles and the high jump. In July 2005, she won the heptathlon at the 2005 European Athletics Junior Championships in Lithuania. She set a new British junior record with 5,891 points.

Becoming a Professional Athlete

Jessica's first big win as a senior athlete was in February 2004. She was 18 years old. She won the 60 metres hurdles at the Northern Senior Indoor Championships. Before that, she had won three junior indoor titles. In August 2005, Jessica competed in her first senior international event. This was the Universiade in Turkey. She won a bronze medal in the heptathlon. She set a new personal best score of 5,910 points.

First Senior Medal in 2006

In 2006, Jessica won a bronze medal for England at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia. She set a new personal best score of 6,269 points. Her high jump of 1.91 metres would have been enough to win the individual high jump event. She also set personal bests in the 200 metres and javelin. Later that year, she improved her personal best score to 6,287 points. This was at the European Championships in Sweden, where she finished eighth.

World Championships Breakthrough in 2007

In 2007, Jessica kept improving. She set new personal bests in the 60 metres hurdles, 60 metres sprint, and long jump. She finished sixth in the pentathlon at the European Indoor Championships. She broke the British under-23 heptathlon record in May. She won a competition in Italy with 6,388 points. She also equalled the British high jump record of 1.95 metres.

In July, Jessica won a bronze medal in the 100 metres hurdles at the European U-23 Championships. Later that month, she won the European Cup Combined Events in Poland. She scored 6,399 points, setting another personal best.

In August, Jessica finished fourth at the World Championships in Japan. She ran the fastest times in the three track events. She set a personal best of 12.97 seconds in the 100 metres hurdles. The athlete who won silver, Lyudmyla Blonska, was later banned for doping. Jessica was named the "European Athletics Rising Star" in September.

Injury Setback in 2008

In early 2008, Jessica set new indoor personal bests in the 60 metres hurdles and long jump. However, she had to stop competing in May due to a foot injury. She had stress fractures in her right foot. Because of this injury, she missed the Olympic Games in Beijing and the rest of the 2008 season.

Winning Her First World Title in 2009

After being out for a year due to injury, Jessica returned to competition in May 2009. She won an event in Italy with a personal best score of 6,587 points. Her foot injury meant she had to change her take-off leg for the long jump. In July, she won the high jump and 100 metres hurdles at the UK Championships.

In August, Jessica won the gold medal at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. She set a personal best of 6,731 points. She was far ahead of the silver medallist. She led the competition from the very first event. Her score was the highest heptathlon score in 2009.

Jessica was named "British Athlete of the Year" and "Sportswoman of the Year." She also came third in the 2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. Her hometown of Sheffield celebrated her success.

Double Champion in 2010: World Indoor and European Outdoor Titles

In January 2010, Jessica started her indoor season with several personal bests. She was chosen as team captain for the Great Britain team. She surprised everyone by winning the 60 metres hurdles in a new British record time of 7.95 seconds. She beat Lolo Jones, who was the world indoor champion. Jessica also set a new indoor personal best in the high jump of 1.94 metres.

Jessica Ennis with Double World Championship Award

At the World Indoor Championships in Qatar, Jessica became the World Indoor Champion for the pentathlon. She set new British, Commonwealth, and Championship records with 4,937 points. She was the first British woman to win world titles both indoors and outdoors.

In May, Jessica won the heptathlon at a competition in Austria with 6,689 points. She set a new personal best in the shot put. She also set a personal best in the long jump at a meeting in New York.

Jessica won the heptathlon gold medal at the 2010 European Championships. She set a personal best and European Championship Record score of 6,823 points. This was the highest heptathlon score of 2010. She also set a personal best in the javelin.

Jessica was again named "British Athlete of the Year" and "Sportswoman of the Year." She was also given an honorary degree from the University of Sheffield. She finished third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award for the second year in a row.

Second World Title in 2011

In early 2011, Jessica set an indoor personal best in the shot put. She also won the 60 metres hurdles at an event in Glasgow. She had to withdraw from the European Indoor Championships due to an ankle injury.

In May, Jessica won the heptathlon at a competition in Austria for the second year in a row. She scored 6,790 points. She set personal bests in the 200 metres and 800 metres. This win meant she had been unbeaten in multi-events for two years.

Ennis during the 2011 World Athletics Championships in Daegu

At the 2011 World Athletics Championships in South Korea, Jessica originally finished second. However, the winner, Tatyana Chernova, was later found to have used banned substances. In 2016, Jessica was officially given the gold medal by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. She had set personal bests in the shot put and 800 metres during the competition.

Jessica was given an award, becoming a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), for her services to athletics. In June 2011, she was added to the Sheffield Legends 'Walk of Fame' in her hometown. A life-size model of her was also put in Madame Tussauds in London. She was voted "British Athlete of the Year" for the third year in a row.

Becoming an Olympic Champion in 2012

Competing at the Yorkshire Track and Field Championships 2012 at the Dorothy Hyman Sports Centre, Cudworth, South Yorkshire

In early 2012, Jessica won the high jump and 60 metres hurdles at the UK Trials. She set two indoor personal bests at a competition in Birmingham. She finished second at the World Indoor Championships in Turkey. She set a personal best and national record of 4,965 points. She also set indoor personal bests in the shot put and 800 metres.

In May, Jessica broke Denise Lewis's British heptathlon record. She scored 6,906 points at a competition in Austria. This made her only the eighth woman to score over 6,900 points. Her performance included personal bests in the 200 metres and javelin.

In August, Jessica won the gold medal in the heptathlon at the London Olympics. She set a British and Commonwealth record score of 6,955 points. She was far ahead of the silver and bronze medallists. On the first day, she scored her highest ever total. This included two personal bests: 12.54 seconds in the 100 metres hurdles and 22.83 seconds in the 200 metres. Her time in the 100 metres hurdles was a new British record. It was also the fastest time ever run in a heptathlon. She achieved another personal best in the javelin and won the final event, the 800 metres.

Gold Post Box

After her Olympic win, Jessica was featured on a special Royal Mail postage stamp. A post box in her hometown of Sheffield was painted gold in her honour.

The Jessica Ennis Stand at Bramall Lane

Sheffield honoured Jessica in many ways. A local artist created a painting of her. Sheffield United renamed a stand at their stadium The Jessica Ennis Stand. A local food company, Henderson's Relish, made a special gold-label bottle of their product for her. The Sheffield City Council also gave her the Freedom of the City.

Henderson's Relish brought out to commemorate Jessica Ennis's Olympic Games gold medal

In mid-August, about twenty thousand people welcomed Jessica back to Sheffield. She was chosen as the "European Female Athlete of the Year" in October. She also won "British Olympic Athlete of the Year" and "British Athlete of the Year." She was nominated for other major awards too.

In November, Jessica was named Sunday Times "Sportswoman of the Year." Her long-time coach, Toni Minichiello, was named "Coach of the Year." Jessica was also voted "Sportswoman of the Year" by the Sports Journalists' Association. She was runner-up for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

Jessica was given another award, becoming a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This was for her services to athletics. She also won the World Sportswoman of the Year at the Laureus World Sport Awards.

Her autobiography, Unbelievable – From My Childhood Dreams to Winning Olympic Gold, was published in November. In the book, she shared that she and her coach decided to stay training in Sheffield, even when there was pressure to move to London.

Injuries and Pregnancy Break (2013–2014)

The year 2013 started with some challenges. Her coach's contract was not renewed, and her main training stadium, the Don Valley Stadium, was closed. Jessica decided not to compete indoors in 2013 to focus on the World Championships. She received the Freedom of the City award from Sheffield.

Jessica had an ankle injury that stopped her from competing in many events in June and July. She returned to competition in July, setting a javelin personal best. However, she still felt pain in her ankle. She decided not to compete at the World Championships in Moscow because she was not fully recovered.

Jessica became pregnant, so she missed the entire 2014 season. She was voted 'the most inspirational figure by under-25-year olds in the UK' during this time. She returned to full-time training in October 2014.

Comeback and Third World Title in 2015

Jessica Ennis-Hill made her comeback in May 2015. She finished third in the 100 metres hurdles. She then finished fourth in her first heptathlon since the London Olympics. This was at a competition in Austria. She easily met the qualifying standard for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

After competing in three events in London, Jessica said she was ready for the World Athletics Championships in Beijing. She won the heptathlon there with 6,669 points.

In July, it was confirmed that Tatyana Chernova (who won gold in 2011) had used a banned substance. Jessica Ennis-Hill was then officially awarded the gold medal from the 2011 World Championships.

Jessica was nominated for the European Athlete of the Year award. She won the Sunday Times and Sky Sports Sportswoman of the Year award for the second time. She was also voted "BAWA Athlete of the Year" for a record fifth time. She finished third in the 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

Olympic Silver and Retirement in 2016

An achilles tendon injury kept Jessica out of the 2016 indoor season. She returned to action in May. She won her first heptathlon of the season in Germany with 6,733 points. She also set a personal best of 6.63 metres in the long jump.

In August, Jessica Ennis-Hill defended her Olympic title at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She won the silver medal, finishing second to Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium.

Jessica was voted Great Britain's favourite sporting hero in a poll in January. She was also included in Forbes Magazine's 30 under 30 list for Europe. On 13 October 2016, Jessica Ennis-Hill announced she was retiring from athletics.

Life After Athletics

On 29 November 2016, a court ruled that Tatyana Chernova had to give back her gold medal from the 2011 World Championships due to doping. As a result, Jessica Ennis-Hill was given the gold medal. This meant she had won her third World title.

Jessica Ennis-Hill was given another high honour, becoming a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This was in 2017 for her services to athletics.

Before the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London, Jessica filmed a special TV show for the BBC. She met some of the new, young British athletes. She also worked as a guest expert for the BBC's coverage of the event. Later that year, Jessica became the second woman to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2019, Jessica Ennis-Hill launched Jennis, her own app-based training program. In 2021, she added a new feature called CycleMapping. This helps women plan their training around their menstrual cycle. In July 2022, she was a guest expert for the BBC's coverage of the World Athletics Championships.

Personal Life

Jessica Ennis-Hill lives in Sheffield. She married Andy Hill, a construction site manager, in May 2013. She then started using the name Jessica Ennis-Hill.

On 10 January 2014, she announced she was pregnant with her first child. She gave birth to her son, Reggie, in July 2014. On 16 March 2017, she announced she was pregnant again. She gave birth to her daughter, Olivia, on 23 September 2017.

She is a big fan of Sheffield United. The club even named one of their stadium stands after her in 2012.

Jessica Ennis-Hill supports several charities. She is also a writer for The Times newspaper. She has appeared in advertisements for companies like Aviva, Adidas, and Omega watches.

In July 2021, Jessica was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs. She talked about how her parents supported her career. She also shared that her grandfather used to give her money as a reward for her early wins.

Achievements

Personal Best Records

Jessica Ennis-Hill achieved some amazing personal bests during her career.

• Her high jump of 1.95 metres was 30 cm (one foot) higher than her own height! Only a few women have ever done this. It was also a British outdoor record at the time.
• Her time of 12.54 seconds in the 100 metres hurdles is the fastest time ever run in a heptathlon. It even matched the winning time for the individual 100 metres hurdles event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
• She held the British record for the heptathlon with 6,955 points until 2019.

Outdoor Personal Bests

Indoor Personal Bests

Images for kids

• 

  Ennis during the 2011 World Athletics Championships in Daegu

Error: no page names specified (help).

• List of awards and nominations received by Jessica Ennis-Hill
• High Jump Differentials – Women
• 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics gold post boxes