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A recent study found that girls who play after-school sport in the UK are 50% more likely to get a top job later in life. And Olympic champion Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill isn’t surprised in the slightest. “Now more than ever, especially having a daughter, I see the positive impact that sport can have on young girls, ” says Jess, 39, mum to Reggie, 11, and eight-year-old Olivia. “There are so many transferable skills from sport, no matter what career you decide to go into. You learn about nutrition and about your body, you’re keeping active. You’re learning discipline and focus. It also gives you a great opportunity to have a separate group of friends outside of school.” Jess is a Weetabix all-star, part of a team of champions, alongside including Leah Williamson , Sir Mo Farah, and Ade Adepitan, stepping up to help Britain recharge, sharing stories of success to help Brits achieve their goals. “Sport has honestly changed my whole life,” says Jess, a track-and-field athlete who, at the 2012 London Olympic Games, won a gold medal in the heptathlon. “It has given me opportunity, shaped my personality, allowed me to travel the world and meet some amazing people.” After retiring from competing in 2016, Jess is now a regular pundit on the BBC and hosts the Gold Minds podcast. She says that women’s sport is more visible than ever before - and it’s brilliant. “Four or five years ago there weren't as many amazing ad campaigns with female sports stars, we didn't see these female role models enough. And I certainly didn’t when I was starting out in sport. But with the Lionesses , the rugby womens, the netball, the amazing track and field female athletes - we see them more. So young girls can go, ‘Oh I want to be like her’, or, 'I want to try hockey or netball'.” But there is still more to be done. Jess says: “There needs to be more money, investment and time put into women's sport - especially at a grassroots level. We need to make sure there’s loads of doors open and opportunities so that young girls not only have access to sport but also encouragement to stick at it." Indeed, Women in Sport found that more than one million teenage girls (43%) who once considered themselves 'sporty', disengage from sport following primary school. “We need to find ways to keep more girls excited about sport, whether that is doing sport or coaching, volunteering,” says Jess. “There are so many reasons these girls are losing love for it. As a teen, you have all the hormonal changes, which can have a massive impact on the way you see your body or the way you see sport.” Even Jess had doubts. “I started doing athletics with a whole group of friends and one by one saw them drop out. I was the last one standing and thought, ‘why am I doing this?’ There were definitely moments where I thought I was missing out. I wasn’t able to get a job like my friends, or go out all the time like they did at weekends because I was competing, training and tired. But I had a lot of encouragement from my family. They kept saying you’re doing really well - just keep going.” And that’s the key, says Jess. “We need to ensure young girls are surrounded by encouragement, great role models and family and friends who keep them chipping away and moving forwards. Schools too - provisions and encouragement there are so important.” When it comes to her own kids, Jess is keen for them to find their own path. “They’re sporty - we run together and they both do things like swimming and tennis. But I have no aspirations for them to become Olympic champions, unless they really want to - that’s their choice. "I’m always going to encourage them to find sport and something they enjoy, and help them to try to stick at it. But I wouldn’t necessarily encourage them to do athletics. I wouldn't want them to have any kind of pressure to being compared to me. I think that would just be annoying. I mean, you never want to be compared to your parents anyway do you?” *Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill is an all-star and together with Weetabix they are on a mission to give Brits the best possible start to their day and achieve their goals - bix by bix.
