Jessica Ennis-Hill is glad her daughter is growing up in a time when opportunities for women in sport are “much bigger” than they used to be.

The former Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion heptathlete is pleased there’s now also greater understanding of women’s physiology – an area that’s lacked attention historically, both in sport and in society in general.

“With the stuff I’ve been doing with my [hormonal health] platform Jennis, I’ve learned so much about gender inequality and the gender data gap. And there’s still quite a lot to do in that area, with how much we understand our bodies as women and as athletes as well, there still needs to be more funding and research put into that side of women’s sport,” says Ennis-Hill, 38, who launched Jennis in 2019, a few years after retiring from competitive athletics.

Starting life as a fitness app with a big focus on pregnancy and post-natal fitness, it’s since evolved to include CycleMapping, with workouts and wellbeing guidance tailored around menstrual cycles and perimenopause symptoms.

“But I think generally, [there have been] really positive moves from a sporting perspective, and that’s really great to see,” Ennis-Hill adds. “I’ve got a young girl, she’s only six, but it really excites me that as she grows older, these kinds of [things] will just be normal for her, and also the opportunities she could potentially have within sport are just so much bigger now.”

The Sheffield-born mum-of-two – she shares son Reggie, nine, and six-year-old Olivia with husband Andy Hill – has currently teamed up with Comic Relief and TK Maxx on this year’s official Red Nose Day T-shirt campaign, featuring designs by Aardman, creators of Wallace & Gromit. It’s been a fun excuse to take a trip down memory lane with her children.

“Red Nose Day is so iconic and with the T-shirts and jumpers, the graphics take you back to childhood days – my kids are enjoying those [Aardman] films now, and I enjoyed them many years ago, so it’s been really nice to connect in a different way,” she says.

It’s some light relief in what’s shaping up to be a “really busy sporty year” for the athlete-turned-entrepreneur and broadcaster, too.

“I just covered the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow. That was like the kick-off to the athletics season, which was great, we had some amazing performances there. And I’ll be doing the commentary for the rest of the year with the BBC at the Olympics in Paris, that will be really exciting,” Ennis-Hill enthuses.

She also has a number of other projects on the go, including “working closely with Sheffield Children’s Hospital on a new campaign, Bright Young Dreams”, raising funds for children’s mental health and awareness “around the support that more and more young kids need these days”, she adds.

Having different strings to her bow is a natural fit for Ennis-Hill.

“I mean, I’m a multi-eventer – multi-events are at the heart of heptathlon. I’ve spent my life juggling different events, and being indecisive and trying to do it all, really!” she says, laughing. “So I think this really suits me. I like to be able to do a bit of sport, do a bit with Jennis, be part of amazing charities and campaigns, and do things I just enjoy and feel passionate about.”

Did she set out with a plan for how her post-retirement career would evolve, or has it all happened organically?

“Towards the end of my [athletics] career, I was very much focused on just performing. It’s always been – right, what’s my next competition? How do I get better? What do I need to improve on? I never allowed myself to think too much beyond that, because I wanted to really stay in the moment,” she reflects.

“Since retiring, I really wanted to go into other fields that I felt passionate about, and that also have some kind of connection to sport as well. I’ve been very lucky to have lots of different opportunities… So, I suppose it’s been more organic, but also, just wanting to find those paths where I feel a real connection and a passion and a drive, and [which] fit with my values as well.”

Being active will always be part of her life, although now it’s more about self-care than chasing gruelling goals.

“I’m so active still, I love running, and I love lifting weights and doing circuits – all very similar things that I used to do when I was a full-time athlete, but with less pressure and expectation. I get to enjoy exercising for the way it makes me feel physically, but also just having time to switch off,” she says. “I love keeping fit, and exercise and getting out and running is a big part of my life now.”

She’s glad to be role-modelling a love of movement to her children, too.

“They love it. They’ve always seen me and my husband doing circuits or going on runs, and my husband does a bit of mountain biking, so they’ve always seen us being super active, and I think it’s just the norm for them. They love going out on their bikes and running, and they both do a bit of tennis. They’re super active, and I think that’s because we’ve just always shown them that from a very young age.”

Another thing she hopes to instil in them is the courage to chase their dreams, which is a message she’d pass on to all young people and girls.

“You’ve got to aim high. I don’t think you should ever put a ceiling on what you want to achieve, or what you think you can achieve,” says Ennis-Hill. “For young girls, whether they go into sport or art or whatever career path they choose, I think it’s aiming high, and knowing that working hard and facing some barriers and challenges along the way will probably make you a lot stronger and more resilient to challenges you face later on.

“It’s something I’ve encouraged in my children – be confident and believe you can achieve anything.”

Jess Ennis-Hill is supporting Red Nose Day by wearing an exclusive T-shirt from the incredible collection of chari-tees, featuring cracking designs from Aardman, available at TK Maxx stores and online at tkmaxx.com to raise money for Comic Relief.