Jessica Ennis: golden girl with the world at her feet. VIDEO AND GALLERY

Jessica Ennis is anxious.

Not much ruffles the new golden girl of British athletics. But when you've just got back from Malta and your suitcase didn't, a girl is entitled to get a bit stressed.

Particularly when your second-best dress and all your make-up is in it.

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In competition, Jessica is all steely determination, sheer precision and honed muscle.

But away from it, the spectacular heptathelete, on whom Britain is pinning gold medal hopes from both the Beijing Olympics and the London Games in 2012, is as girly as they come.

"I just want to know where my case is," she says. "I'll be gutted if it's lost. It's got my Karen Millen dress in it..."

Watch our exclusive interview with Jessica. Click the play icon at the top of the page.

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Jessica wore the frock to pick up her latest accolade - the award for European Athletics' Rising Star at a ceremony in Malta at the weekend.

And she reckons she needs her cosmetics because The Star's photographer is on her doorstep. In reality, she doesn't need a scrap. Golden-skinned and bright-eyed, Jessica is naturally beautiful.

We reassure her that she's fine with just a dash of eyeliner, but as she sits on the garden wall to have her picture taken, she's decidedly on edge.

Click here for Jessica's official website.

Turns out it's nothing to do with vanity, though; Jessica is too down to earth a girl for that. "Spiders," she says. "I'm sure there must be loads of them out here and I'm absolutely terrified of them. Even the tiny ones."

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Hurdles, high jump, shot-put, javelin, long jump, 200 metre sprint and 800 metre race... Jessica takes them all in her stride. She has the ability to transform pre-race nerves into hair-trigger reaction on the starting-line and says fear is a positive thing.

But spiders? They turn her legs to jelly. "I know it's irrational, but it's a phobia," says the girl who, if she continues at her phenomenal rate, will be a sporting superstar.

And if she gets Olympic gold, it will all be thanks to the school holiday sports camp her mum and dad sent her to at the age of 10 – just for something to do.

"They worked full time and sent me and my sister, Carmel, for two weeks of the six-weeks school holiday," she recalls.

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Jessica hadn't showed any athletic prowess at that point. "I wasn't really into sport or anything. And I can't remember asking to go to camp," she admits. But during that fortnight at Don Valley, she discovered her talent - and met her coach and mentor, Sheffielder Tony Minichello.

"I enjoyed it from the start. And I won a prize - a pair of trainers. I loved winning and I got the bug I guess," she says.

Jessica doesn't come from a sporting family. Mum Alison is a social worker, dad Vinnie is a self-employed painter and decorator and sister Carmel is now a nursery nurse.

"If it hadn't been for sports camp I may never have got into athletics and I've often wondered what I would be doing now," she muses.

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Teachers at King Ecgbert's School were quick to spot and encourage her talents, but Jessica was also academic. She got a clutch of GCSEs plus three A levels and this summer graduated from Sheffield University with a 2:2 in psychology.

"I was a bit disappointed with a 2:2," she says, pulling a little face.

The fact that, during her second year at uni, she also won a bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne kind of makes that okay, I suggest.

"Well, yes. There was a lot of pressure. I was training hard and trying to study at the same time," she concedes. "And while the degree was very important to me, getting a bronze was more so..."

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However, the comment is indicative of Jessica's drive - and the high degree of perfectionism she sets herself.

Never more so than now. This is an important year for the girl who, at just 21, shows such immense promise.

As a junior, the little lass from Millhouses became the first Brit to win heptathlon gold at the European Championships and went on to take bronze at the 2005 World University Games.

Once university was over she doubled her daily training sessions; she took fourth place at this summer's World Championships (narrowly missing the bronze medal) and now the Beijing Olympics beckon.

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Incredibly, it is still only 18 months since she made her debut into senior athletics.

Jessica is tiny - she's just 5ft 4in tall and a size eight ("but I've got a big butt," she says, prodding pure muscle) - it is hard to imagine how she has the endurance to cope with seven gruelling events over two days.

"The 800 metres really takes it out of me," she admits. "That's the event I dislike the most. It's really tough - it's the last event so the pressure is on - you're running for a medal. And it hurts - lactic acid is in every muscle. For the last 200 metres I'm just running through the pain."

Occasionally, on rainy early mornings, when she's tired, it's that same ability to steel mind over matter that gets her out of bed and off to training at the English Institute of Sport. "I think to myself: why am I doing this? But then I think about the heptathalon athletes all over the world who are getting out of bed to train and I go.

"If you want to win medals, you have to."

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She dreams of an Olympic gold in London. She is on target, say tipsters. But whether she wins it or not, the combination of her talent, looks and sunny yet down-to-earth attitude, may well see this girl soar to sporting superstar status.

Already she's had a taste of the limelight by modelling for sponsors Adidas.

"I loved it - getting out of my tracksuit, having my hair and make-up done and someone taking great photographs of me... who wouldn't?" she grins. "A lot of sports people end up on TV when they retire. And I'd definitely enjoy the quiz shows, so long as it's not Question of Sport – I only know about athletics. I'd be terrible!

"But I'd absolutely love to go on Strictly Come Dancing one day. I adore that show and athletes seem to do very well at it," she enthuses.

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Is it the thrill of competing and the excitement of learning a new discipline that enthuses her?

"Definitely," she says. "And the prospect of wearing those gorgeous little sequinned costumes!"

What do you think. Post your comments below.A Day in the Life of Jessica Ennis

A two-hour training session at Don Valley begins at 9am six days a week.

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Then it's back home to the terraced house I bought with my boyfriend Andy a few months ago.

We were at school together but didn't date until we met in town one night about three years ago. He is so supportive of what I do.

Once I'm back home in Woodseats there's time for a sandwich and a chill-out in front of the TV before I head back to Don Valley Stadium or the EIS.

I watch Loose Women and Neighbours, then go off for another two or three hours of training. I always follow up with a physiotherapy massage, which is not as nice as it sounds - in fact it's really painful. I have been known to scream when the physio uses his elbows to release the tension in my thigh muscles and my feet!

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I go home to make tea with Andy. I love cooking and looking after the house - I'm quite traditional really and cooking relaxes me.

Athletes have to eat well - plenty of carbs and fresh fruit and vegetables. But quite often I'll beg for a takeaway - I love Indian or Chinese. Andy is the one who says no, that a salad is healthier.

"I go clothes shopping with my friends - I love French Connection and Diesel. But most evenings I'm a couch potato. I'm so tired from all the training, I just crash in front of the TV.

Jessica Ennis will again compete in her home town when the Norwich Union World Trials and UK Championships take place at the Sheffield EIS on February 9 and 10. The event doubles up as the national indoor championships and the trial for the World Indoor Championships which take place in Valencia in March. Tickets for the Sheffield date will go on sale in early November.

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