Video: Golden girl Jessica Ennis fast-tracks a place on Sheffield’s walk of fame

She is the 17th “Legend” to be nominated and her plaque has now joined those of other well-known Sheffielders such as Jarvis Cocker, Michael Palin, Sean Bean and Sebastian Coe.

The 25-year-old, who has become the youngest Sheffield Legend, and her parents Vinnie Ennis and Alison Powell attended a ceremony yesterday to see her plaque unveiled.

She said: “To hear all the names that are down on the pavement already, it’s really surreal to be honoured.

“The people of Sheffield have always supported me and I’d like to thank them. I hope I can keep achieving great things.”

She added: “With the Olympics around the corner, I hope I can bring a gold medal home for Sheffield.”

Ennis attended King Ecgbert School in Dore before going to Sheffield University, where she graduated with a degree in psychology in 2007.

She hit the international headlines in her first senior championships for the English team in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, where she was a surprise bronze medal winner in the heptathlon.

Three years later, she became heptathlon world champion in Berlin and then won the world indoor pentathlon championship a year later in Doha, setting a new British, Commonwealth and championship record.

Last year she won the heptathlon gold medal at the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona, with a personal best of 6,823 points.

The Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Coun Sylvia Dunkley, said at yesterday’s ceremony: “Jessica is a Sheffielder through and through.

“She is a huge ambassador for the city and is a great inspiration for our young people, not only in Sheffield but nationally.”

Yesterday’s accolade comes just a week after Ennis was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.