Former professional footballer Jill Scott has become a national sweetheart thanks to her steely determination on the pitch. However, every great athlete has a breaking point, and the 39-year-old TV personality candidly admitted she nearly gave up during her Sport Relief challenge this week.
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, she said, "I didn't think I would be able to do the hills." At the time, Jill had just completed four days and 359 miles, spending over 20 hours cycling to end up at the Stadium of Light in her hometown of Sunderland.
The Gruelling Journey
The star managed to complete the bold challenge. "I didn't think I would be able to do the hills when we were going through the Yorkshire Dales. It was literally so tough at the end. I did think if one more hill appeared, I might have to get off the bike and give up." She added, "They didn't defeat me, I got through. And I must say, in that moment, Mark, who's been my cycling guide, definitely did get me through. So thank you, Mark."
Apart from loyal fans, friends, and family, Jill was spurred on by one famous face: Ronan Keating. She continued, "You know, the support's been amazing, from messages to people on the street. Honestly, I think it's going to hit me once this challenge is over, because I feel like in my head it's just to get this challenge finished. So I think that's an athlete mindset sometimes. But seeing Ronan Keating today, that actually did make me smile a lot. I'm gutted that I missed their concert at the weekend because I was training for this, and I told them they've got to do another one just so I can come. But what a guy."
Ideal Celebrity Squad
Jill started playing for England in 2006 and fast became a household name. When asked about her ideal celebrity squad, she said, "Oh, that's a really tough one. Just everybody that sent messages. I've had messages from the guys on the Overlap podcast, from Kaz Carney, Nasee Adam, Carly Telford joined us, all my mates, my ex-teammates. There would be too many to make a squad."
Injuries and Challenges
While Jill has been praised along the way and tried to make it seem as though she is surviving well, she revealed she endured a few injuries. "Well, two blisters have just popped on my toes, so there's a little bit of gory detail. Yeah, it has been really challenging. My knee's been causing a lot of pain, so there's been a lot of moments of getting strapped up. I don't think people see, when you're arriving at the pit stops, it's half 11 at night and you're getting physio till half one, two in the morning. You have four hours' sleep and then you're up again to do a marathon or a 30-mile run."
She concluded, "But I knew it was going to be a challenge. It's a Sport Relief challenge, for one thing, it's to raise as much money as possible, so it's got to be tough, doesn't it?"
