An Olympic gold medallist who has also broken records, there's no doubt that Jessica Ennis-Hill has firmly established herself as a sporting icon. However, the 30-year-old has revealed that part of her success comes from the support she received from her mother Alison Powell – and admitted she doesn't think she could have been a champion without her support.
Jessica Ennis-Hill has credited her mother for being her "inspiration"
"I really don't believe I would have been able to achieve any of my World, Olympic or European medals without the support and strength of my mum throughout my life," the British beauty said at the unveiling of Procter & Gamble's new Strong video, in support of the brand's Thank You, Mum campaign.
As the Rio de Janeiro Olympics draw ever closer, Jessica revealed that now she is a mother herself, she works to balance both her gruelling training for the major sporting event, and spending quality time with her son Reggie – and Alison has been helping her every step along the way.
"That’s even truer now as I’m juggling the very different but equally important challenges of being a mum myself to an energetic toddler and my full-on preparations for Rio 2016," Jessica said of her need for her mum's support. "She is the most amazing Grandma and plays a key role in helping to look after Reggie when I am training and Andy is working."
Jessica and her mother Alison Powell
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With such a hectic schedule, the athlete admitted that she found herself "fatigued physically and mentally", but that it was her mother who helped her to stay motivated and focused towards her goal.
"There have been lots of times in training when you feel 'I don’t know if I can do this anymore'," Jessica confessed. "You're really fatigued physically and mentally, preparing for an Olympic Games is a really stressful thing and you think to yourself 'Can I do this?' or 'Do I want to do this?'
Jessica already boasts an impressive career
"My mum always just says 'You can do it, it is going to be hard but if you have a hard journey to something, that’s not plain sailing, then the end point is always that much sweeter when you are successful'."
After watching Strong, a short clip showing the daily courage mums show throughout their kids' lives, Jessica revealed she recognised her own history in the clip, admitting that Alison was her "inspiration".
"It was like I was watching my own story," she explained. "The strength my mum shows has always been my inspiration. P&G always recognises the role our mums play and that’s why I’m so proud to represent both P&G and some of their well-loved brands, Pampers®, Olay® and Venus® at the Olympic Games.”