SHEFFIELD’S Olympic heroine Jessica Ennis believes young girls are being put off sport because of worries about the impact on their body shape and being too muscular.
The gold-winning heptathlete said some talented youngsters are wary of training as they fear they will not look the same as their friends.
Golden girl Ennis told Radio Times that she too was concerned about weight training and had to be reassured by her coach that it would be worth it to win medals.
But the 26-year-old said she has had positive feedback from girls who have shown an interest in athletics as a result of her success.
Ennis told the magazine: “It’s important that girls aren’t afraid of sport. I remember when I first started doing weight training, I didn’t want to be any good at it because I didn’t want to be all muscly.
“My coach sat me down and said that if I had more muscles than the average woman, but won an Olympic gold medal, it would be worth it. He was right, but it’s hard when you’re younger and want to look like everyone else.”
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