Jessica Ennis-Hill

“We always spend more time on the throwing events and a little bit more on the long jump. They're my weaker events - they don't come as naturally to me as running and jumping. I like the hurdles and the high-jump, I'm a springy, speedy athlete so those suit me.”

“People who aren't perhaps that into sport are going to be following me and wanting to be part of the Olympics. That definitely does bring added pressure but as an athlete the Olympics are the ultimate competition.”

“I have always been small and one of the smallest heptathletes out there. And earlier in my career, I was faced with coaches and athletes who felt I was too small to be a multi-eventer. It gives you a push to show you can do it.”

“I think, now that I am a mother, I look at other mums like Jo Pavey and just mums that go back to work and work incredibly hard, and I have so much admiration and appreciation for how hard it is.”

“I don't want to think of life after competing. But if I were to do anything else I'd go down the psychology route. That's what interests me.”

“I don't look at Twitter between events because it's a distraction but I will ring my fiance and parents to let them know how it's going.”

“I love being part of campaigns and events that are working with kids and just sharing my personal experiences.”

“I don't wear strappy tops. Everyone feels self-conscious about something on their body. It's just finding a style that works for you, and I don't really suit strappy tops or dresses, so I avoid them.”

“I learned what I need to do in the long jump, what I needed to do in the javelin and I've been able to rectify those events. It's been a bit of a learning curve, which is good.”

“With athletics, you put all that training in for only two major championships a year and the Olympics every four years. So when you get on top of the podium, it is relief and excitement and... Oh! it has all been worthwhile... the hard work, the sacrifices.”

“I love getting dressed up for red carpet events and having my hair and makeup done professionally - that definitely helps with nerves of going down the red carpet.”

“On a scale of one to 10, I'd rate my body confidence as a good seven. Everyone has their hang-ups, but I see my body as a training tool and I feel good about it.”

“The closer I get to retirement, the more I feel it will be a huge change, a shock, because athletics has been the core of my whole life. I know I'll miss the feeling of running fast, the adrenaline rush, and hearing the crowd cheering me on.”

“It's really important for me to look good before a race. I definitely think if I feel I look good, it makes me feel more confident.”

“As soon as I had a child, he became the priority. Now, I fit my training around him. I've changed as an athlete.”

“I want to experience that massive adrenalin rush when you step into a new stadium, all the more so when that Olympic Stadium is packed full of people waving British flags.”

“I carry a golf ball to put under my feet when they get tight, and a Thera-Band for general stretching.”

“I've always said that you're obviously doing something right if you have got pressure on you.”

“Things have changed so much, with Facebook and Twitter. Everyone is so much more accessible these days: no British athlete has ever experienced what we are experiencing now. It's such a unique situation with the home Olympics.”

“I wasn't the kind of kid who would get A's without even trying. I had to work to get good grades, but I was very organised about it because I always wanted to do well at everything I did. I'm very competitive.”