With her good looks and winning smile, not to mention a world championship gold medal, heptathlete Jessica Ennis is the new darling of British athletics, and the face of London 2012. She talks exclusively to Michael Stoneman about her incredible year.

Q: It's been quite a year for you, how does it feel to end 2009 as a world champion?

A: It's amazing. It's been such a good year, and then to win the world title was just a great achievement, especially having come back froma serious injury last year. It feels brilliant.

Q: How difficult was it for you last year, being injured for the Olympics with that stress fracture in your ankle?

A: It was really hard. It kind of came as a big shock, just because training had been going so well, I was in great shape, and I was really looking forward to my first Olympics. It was really difficult and a horrible time, but if I hadn't gone through that experience I don't think I'd have done as well as I have done this year, so there are positives to take from it as well.

Q: Did you find it hard coming back from that injury?

A: It was really hard because of all the rehab work you have to do. You have to take it really slowly, so it was really frustrating, but I just focused all my energy onto this year's world championships and that drove me on and kept me motivated.

Q: You came back stronger than ever and were ranked number one heading into the world championships. Were you expecting to win gold?

A: At the beginning of the season I was just hoping to come back without having lost too much from the injury, so I was really focused on just qualifying for the world championships and then everything just rolled on and went really well. Going in ranked number one was a really nice surprise. I did think about gold, but realistically I thought that a medal was in reach and perhaps the gold might be a little too far. 

Q: You made the perfect start in Berlin, setting the third highest first-day total ever. Were you confident of making such a strong start?

A: My first day is always my strongest because we have my best events, so I knew that I'd have a strong first day, but I didn't think it would be that good! And I certainly didn't think it would be the third best of all time, so that was really nice. 

Q: How were you feeling at the end of that first day, when you'd built up that huge lead? Were you already thinking about the gold?

A: Everyone kept asking me about it, but I really didn't let myself think about the gold medal because I was really only half the way there and even though everything was going so well, it can all come crumbling down with one bad jump or a poor throw. I just kept focused on the next day and the events that I still had to do before I thought about medals. 

Q: Were you worried that you might throw it away on the second day?

A: Well the second day is my weaker day and, having changed my take-off leg in the long jump, that was an event that I was quite worried about. I was really anxious and scared that even though I'd done so well on the first day, things could go really wrong and I could mess it up! 

Q: You had a 12-second cushion heading into the 800m, were you still nervous then? Surely you must have been thinking the gold was yours?

A: When I was still leading after the javelin, that was the only point that I really thought the gold medal was mine, unless I threw it away and did something stupid. So I did actually think about the medal then, but I was so nervous about the 800, that is such a horrible event to finish with, that the nerves really took over at that stage. 

Q: Can you explain your emotions when you crossed that line at the end of the 800m? What was going through your head?

A: It was relief more than anything! I'd got through everything and led from the start until the end, and I had a bit of pressure and expectation going in, so it was just a really great feeling that I'd not let anyone down and done myself proud and really come back from a horrible year the year before. 

Q: When you first took up athletics at the age of 10, did you ever imagine that you'd become a world champion?

A: I think I dreamt about it and I definitely wanted to achieve it, but it's hard to imagine what it will be like until you've achieved it. It's nice to think about the journey I've come on since a 10-year old, just doing athletics for fun, to now being a world champion. That's a really nice feeling. 

Q: How has life changed for you since Berlin?

A: It's definitely changed a lot. I've still got to make sure I get all my training done, but there are lots of other things now as well and lots of opportunities that have come up since the world championships. It's been really busy, but it's been a good busy, so I'm enjoying it. 

Q: Has it been difficult fitting all your new commitments around your training?

A: Yeah, it can be. But it's just about being organised and making sure you do things that are important, but also not try and do everything and make sure that you're not missing training sessions, because that's the most important thing at the end of the day. 

Q: Have you found it hard to keep motivated in training?

A: No, not at all. I had a nice break after the worlds, so that was nice just to take my mind of athletics and just relax a bit, but now I'm back into full training I'm very much focused on the next goal and everything else I want to achieve. 

Q: Even though you're world champion, are you still looking to improve in certain areas?

A: Yeah, definitely the long jump, that's something that we're still working on and making changes with, and then the throws as well. If we can keep those improvements going, and then keep up my strong events, like hurdles and high jump, then that will be brilliant. 

Q: With the commitment you have to put into training, does it give you much chance to have a social life?

A: I think it's important to have a social life and make sure you keep in touch with friends and don't isolate yourself too much, but obviously there is a lot of training. I have one day off a week, so there's not a lot of spare time, but it's just about getting that balance of making sure you're training hard, but finding opportunities to see friends and do normal things as well. 

Q: You've now become 'the face of London 2012', how does that feel?

A: It feels really weird to be honest, but it feels really nice as well. I'm just trying to make the most of everything and appreciate it, having missed out on the last Olympics, so it's a nice position to be in and I hope I can keep improving and do everyone proud and not let anyone down! 

Q: Do you feel more pressure with regards to 2012, now that people will be expecting you to win?

A: There's definitely more pressure, it just comes with doing well in any sport I suppose. But I'm just really looking forward to it more than anything, and, having won the gold medal at the world championships, it's given me that extra boost, that extra bit of confidence, so I think that will help me as well. 

Q: The heptathlon is such a demanding event, if you win gold in 2012 would you consider calling it a day?

A: It depends what I achieve between now and 2012. If I've achieved all I want to, and then won the gold in 2012, then I think I might find myself hitting that point where I've done all I can do, so I'd be ready to move on to another challenge. But until you've done that and experienced it, you don't know. It might drive you on again if you win gold. You might want to defend your title, so it's hard to say at this stage. 

Q: It's the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games next year, will you have to prioritise one over the other?

A: I'm going to prioritise one. I'm going to do the European Championships hopefully, just because of the timing. The Commonwealth Games are in October, so it's a bit of a funny time of the year. I'm hoping to do a full indoor season and do the World Indoor Championships and then the European Championships in the summer. 

Q: And you'll be aiming for gold I presume?

A: That would be nice! But it depends, each year's different so you don't know what other people are going to be doing, and you can't tell what the competition's going to be like until the season starts. I'm just going to keep training hard and get myself in the best shape I can and then see what I can do. 

Q: Have you thought about what you might do after athletics? Could you see yourself on something like Strictly Come Dancing?

A: Yeah, definitely! I absolutely love it and I'd love to go on, but I think if I was actually asked to go on I'd be really scared because it looks pretty tough! But I absolutely love that programme, it's brilliant, so if any opportunities like that came around in the future I'd definitely grab them, but I'm not going to be doing any dance moves just yet!