I cover up my arms because I look butch: Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis worries her muscles make her appear masculine
- Gold medallist admitted she avoided weight training because she thought big muscles were 'unattractive'
- In her autobiography, she confessed to having body hang ups
- Despite concerns, she posed in lacy, black underwear for a photo shoot
- Admitted irritation at nickname, Tadpole, created by rival Kelly Sotherton
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Jessica Ennis became the poster girl of the Olympics and her toned body earned her a legion of male admirers.
But the gold-medal winning heptathlete reveals she worries that her muscles make her look masculine.
In fact, she thinks her arms look ‘butch’ and, away from the track, often covers them up. Last night was no exception as she chose a sheer cream blouse with long sleeves for her appearance at a Christmas concert.
Covering up: Jessica wore a long sleeved top for a book signing in Sheffield last night after admitting that she worries her muscles make her look masculine
Miss Ennis, 26, a picture of understated glamour, joined boy band The Wanted and X factor semi-finalist Misha B for a charity concert to celebrate the Christmas lights switch-on at Meadowhall, in her home city of Sheffield.
She has kept a low profile since winning gold for the heptathlon in spectacular style in August, but made a rare public appearance to attend the charity concert and sign copies of her autobiography, Unbelievable: From My Childhood Dreams to Winning Olympic Gold.
In it, she admits she has body hang-ups like many other women. She says: ‘I don’t look in the mirror and think, Oh God yeah. I don’t think I’m anything special.’
She admits she avoided weight training when she began competing because ‘I felt big muscles were unattractive and none of my friends at school had them’.
‘As a teenage girl I was more self-conscious,’ she said. ‘I would not wear certain things and, to some extent, I am the same now and will usually cover my arms. I look at myself in the mirror and think I am a bit butch, but you get to a point where you finally understand that looks do not matter so much.’
Despite her concerns, she has posed for a number of risqué photo shoots, including one in lacy black underwear.
She said: ‘I did some sexier shots for GQ magazine wearing some hot pants and pouting. I would never do topless or nude pictures or even be body-painted. That is where I draw the line.’
Poster girl: Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis admits she has body hang ups like many other woman
Miss Ennis also admitted her irritation at her nickname, Tadpole, which was created by fellow English heptathlete and rival, Kelly Sotherton. At 5ft 5ins tall, Miss Ennis is often dwarfed by other competitors and she admits that the nickname fuelled her insecurities about her size.
During the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, she recalls Miss Sotherton returning to the athletes’ village after talking to the media and boasting: ‘Guess what. It’s so funny. I’ve just called you Tadpole to the press.’
Miss Ennis said: ‘I knew it wasn’t malicious but I also knew there was a slight edge to it. She knew the name would stick and it’s not the most flattering.’
Skin deep: The heptathlete confesses she was more self-conscious as a teenager but now understands that 'looks do not matter so much.'
Frank talk: Jessica Ennis made the confessions in her autobiography, in which she also admitted that the nickname, Tadpole, given to her by Kelly Sotherton bothered her
She later returns to the subject, saying: ‘The truth is I was hurt by it and did not like it.’
Sotherton retired this year after she failed to recover from a back injury in time for the London 2012 Games.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2230158/Jessica-Ennis-worries-muscles-make-appear-masculine.html#ixzz2Bm0j4Vx5
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