Jessica Ennis will shut out her family and friends as she focuses on trying to secure a gold medal at the London Olympic Games this summer.
Ennis is using to pressure of competing in a home Games as added determination as Britain's athletes look to meet their target of eight medals, one of them gold, and the Sheffield sensation is willing to ignore everyone close to her in order to achieve her goals.
"If I step out into the stadium I don't look for my family and friends and if I do catch their eye I completely ignore them," said Ennis. "I want to stay so focused so I blank them out and probably come across as quite rude.
"It can be a distraction, you just have to blank them out. You don't want any other thoughts creeping into your head, anything that just slightly distracts you is a big negative.
"I don't even know where they are sat most of the time, but they'll just catch your eye and I'm like, 'Damn, I don't want to see them!' They know the deal, that I'm trying to compete and it's not about waving to the crowd and smiling to my family so they understand."
The London Olympic Games get underway in 99 days' time.
Matt Cotton
