See our interview with Jessica Ennis-Hill here 

OLYMPIC gold medal winner Jessica Ennis-Hill delighted an audience with an extract from her new children's book and tips on how to succeed at sport.

The 31-year-old, who retired from athletics in October, yesterday said she was inspired to start new series Evie's Magic Bracelet after reading regularly to son Reggie, two.

It is co-written with children's author Elen Caldecott and follows a young girl called Evie, who receives a magic bracelet from her grandma in Jamaica and ends up going on adventures.

Speaking in the Sheldonian Theatre to The Sunday Times' Nicolette Jones, as part of the Oxford Literary Festival, Mrs Ennis-Hill said the character was loosely based on her younger self.

She said: "There are lots of characteristics that are similar... Evie likes things to be organised and she's also quite a sporty and shy girl, like I was, but she has an inner confidence and knows what she wants to achieve in life.

Oxford Mail:

Jessica Ennis-Hill speaks in the Sheldonian Theatre  Picture: KT Bruce

"I wanted children to see the kind of upbringing I had before what I went on to achieve and bring sport into as many lives as possible.

"Having my son has taken me into this new world of a child's imagination, because I see Reggie just playing and pretending to do different things and it's all in his head, so it has been nice to step into that world and write children's books.

"I hope kids enjoy them and take something positive away from them. Sport and imagination are two really important things when it comes to development, growing up and being a well-rounded person.

"In sport we tend to concentrate on the body but actually your mind and imagination and how you think about everything is a massive part of how well you perform.

"You have to be able to visualise all the different parts of competing and believe that you can stand on that podium with a medal around your neck."

The book features Evie taking part in a race but, unusually for a children's story, she does not win in the end.

This reflected one of the main themes of the series - that perseverance is key to success - Sheffield-born Mrs Ennis-Hill said.

Oxford Mail:

After speaking Dame Jessica met schoolchildren from Oxford      Picture: KT Bruce

She is no stranger to adversity, after having to recover from a foot injury 'that could have been career-ending' and caused her to miss the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

She went on to win gold in the heptathlon at the London 2012 games, with a total of 6,955 points - the third highest in the history of the Olympic competition.

The mum, made a Dame in the most recent New Year's Honours, also took time out from competetive sport afterwards to have her first child and when she returned to the Olympics in Rio last year won a silver medal. 

She added: "A lot of girls and boys come up to me and think I'm superhuman, but actually I was just an ordinary girl at school and I just trained hard and wanted to be the best I could be.

"If you do that and set yourself a goal, you can achieve anything.

"You do sometimes question yourself and have doubts. But you have always got to remember why you're doing it - for the enjoyment and the love of the sport.

"And when you compete at your very best, knowing that everything is coming together in that one important moment, it is the most incredible feeling."

She also joked that, after revealing she had another baby on the way earlier this month, she might have to get used to a more hectic lifestyle.

Mrs Ennis Hill said: "I'm not even attempting to try and plan for life with two children, it will probably be quite crazy."

At the end of the event, she signed copies of her new book for fans.