Jeanette reached the final of the women’s 100m at the Beijing Olympics. She was the first British woman to do so since 1984. She came sixth and ran a personal best of 11.14 seconds.
She currently holds the British record for 60m and, in 2008, successfully defended her title of British 100m champion, which she won in 2007.
How does it feel to be the sixth fastest woman in the world?
"Absolutely amazing. I worked so hard for the Olympics, and seeing the results was almost unbelievable. I was also very happy to make my family and friends so proud."
What were your most memorable experiences from the Olympics?
"It has to be the Bird's Nest Stadium. To run in front of 91,000 people in the Olympic final was the realisation of my childhood dream. The noise and the atmosphere were electric. I'll always remember that. That and the 24-hour international food hall in the Olympic village!"
What was it like watching Usain Bolt run in the flesh?
"Usain Bolt was a joy to watch. He is a phenomenon, but I've been seeing him compete since I was 19 so it was nothing new to me. It was extraordinary to see him put out those performances." [Jamaican runner Usain Bolt broke the world record in both the 100m and 200m finals.]
Do you have talented runners in your family history that you know of?
"My brother and sister are both extremely talented. My younger brother also competes on a national level. I'm not aware of any other members of my family who are runners or sportswomen. I think opportunities for my relatives were very different from what we have now."
Have any of your family influenced your progression in athletics?
"My family have been very influential in the last few years, as I began to develop as an elite athlete. My parents were very strict in my upbringing, though. They ensured that I was fully focused on achieving a good level of education before I focused entirely on becoming a sportswoman."
Did your parents get you into healthy habits as a child?
"Just the basic principles of nutrition, like eating greens and vegetables. We were told as children that if we didn’t eat our veg, we would not grow to be big and strong. We also don't drink fizzy sugary drinks, just natural juices."
Do you think your Ghanaian heritage contributes to your running talent?
"I think my West African heritage has had a massive role in my talent. I believe there are studies showing scientific evidence that people of West African ancestry have a major advantage in power sports like mine, hence the abundance of black sprinters at the highest level."
It’s black history month in October. Do you have any particular role models or mentors?
"I have many idols. Black history month is always a time to reflect on the achievements of black people who have done so much. In terms of past innovators, I look up to people like Jesse Owens, 1936 Olympic champion, and Martin Luther King Jr. I admire Barack Obama and his vision for change. In terms of mentoring, I look up to my coach, Michael Afilaka. Without him my achievements wouldn't have been possible."
Do you have any tips for ordinary people who find it hard to keep motivated when it comes to exercise and diet?
"Nobody is ordinary: everybody is special in their own way. The first thing you should do is set very clear objectives, one short-term and one long-term. Remind yourself of them every day and really aim to achieve your goal. It's also important to set yourself a time limit. Visualise yourself in that dress or bikini."
What do you eat on a training day compared to a normal day?
"My diet in the competitive season is very different from my diet during the winter months, and my race-day diet is even more extreme. For example on a race day, my lunch will consist of just jam sandwiches, to ensure I have very high sugar levels and enough energy."
If you don't feel like training, how do you motivate yourself to get going?
"We all have down days. I just remember the goals that I want to achieve for the season and that’s enough motivation to make me get up and try my hardest."
When do you start preparing for the 2012 London Olympics?
"Every year is preparation for the next, so you could say that I am preparing for 2012 as we speak."
