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Here is an exclusive interview with one of Britain's best heptathletes, Caroline Pearce. This lady has intelligence, looks and a body that many competitive fitness & figure ladies would die for. Photos by Martin Green.

Just to explain to our readers, we first met you at Harrods Department Store in Knightsbridge. Here is what our director says about the first time he saw you:

"I was on the top floor of Harrods looking at some exercise equipment. Next to them, there was an amazing-looking lady. She had looks and she had a body that belonged on the stage of a prestigious fitness/figure competition. As I was standing there, she did some 50 push-ups, no sweat! She had been doing these all day as she was promoting one of the exercise machines in Harrods. I had to talk to her as if she wasn't a figure contestant, she needed to be!"

Well, that's how we got to know you. As for the readers of LA Magazine, they don't know much about you so let's find out more.

What is your name and what is your profession?

My name is Caroline Pearce. I've not long finished studying, where I achieved a first class honours degree in Sports Science at Loughborough University and an MSc in Exercise Physiology. I am still based at the university where I train full time for athletics. I am a heptathlete (that includes 7 track and field events for those of you who don't know: hurdles, high jump, shot putt, 200m, long jump, javelin and 800m).

I do flexible work as a sports model and demonstrator and have recently helped put together a video for powerbag and have been filming for a virtual circuit training system. I also work as a personal trainer and do sports motivation talks at schools in my area for the sporting champions initiative. I love the varied nature of my work and it is flexible enough to fit around my training.

Where do you live and how long have you been in your sport?

I'm currently living in Loughborough, but home for me is near Cambridge, where I grew up.

I have been competing in athletics for 12 years and my specialist events from the heptathlon have been the long jump and 100m hurdles. This winter I also qualified for the British bobsleigh team and had my first taste of winter sports.

What got you into your sport?

I was encouraged to join a local athletics club when I was 11 years old by my junior school teacher. I had excelled at sports day and taken all the records, including the boys' ones! I also won the county cross country in my second ever race. However, I quickly realised I could achieve success in shorter distance events, which seemed to suit me better. It also helped that at my first club I had a strong network of friends and good family support.

As for the bobsleigh, an ex- heptathlete called me last Christmas saying she thought I'd be suitable as a breakwoman and invited my to the trials for the last competition of their season - the world championships! I recorded the second fastest push time behind the current GB breakwoman and was selected to go out to Canada with the team for the championships and to learn more about the sport.

What have been your achievements?

I first competed for England as an under 15 in the pentathlon (5 track and field events) after winning the England Schools. I then competed for Great Britain in the heptathlon in the under 20 and under 23 age groups and placed 3rd in the second of my international competitions. I won the AAA's National heptathlon championships in 2003 and 2005. My first senior International competition was the European Cup in Holland last year. I helped the GB team secure their position in the superleague.

For the bobsleigh, I was the reserve breakwoman at the World Championships in Canada this winter, where our team won the silver medal. I pushed in the foreruns and early rounds.

What's your goal for the next few years and more long term?

In the short term I am aiming qualify in the bobsleigh trials to make the World Cup team for the winter and ultimately the Olympic squad. At the moment this will be dependent on the recovery of an ongoing knee injury I have. I also want to go to driving school to learn how to drive the bobsleigh. My desire to achieve my potential in athletics is still strong and I want to continue to train and compete in the heptathlon with the view to compete in further championships. I want to fulfil these childhood dreams before I ultimately go on to work in sports nutrition, helping teams and organisations, which formed the basis of most of my study. To travel and do this abroad would be an ambition for me.

What's been the best moment of your sporting career?

Probably when I competed for Great Britain in a Paris International as an under 23 - I won the bronze medal by achieving a personal best performance in each of the 5 disciplines. At this point I realised my potential and think I surprised a few people at the same time!

What's been the worst?

Having to pull out of my first junior international with a stress fracture in my foot. I got to keep the kit though! It is also very frustrating at the moment trying to stay motivated and having to keep resetting my training and goals due to my knee injury. But it is improving now.

Does every body in your team have a body like yours or do you work at it? Or do you think it is genetics?

Thank you for the compliment! I think most athletes have good, athletic bodies, but we come in all shapes and sizes, depending on the event to be trained for and obviously genetics. I have always been quite lean and had a defined stomach and arms as this is not where I store my fat. But this last year I have been more strict with my diet to reduce my bodyfat and improve my strength to weight ratio for events such as the long jump and high jump, where this is essential for performance.

How do you keep fit? What exercises do you do?

In the off-season I usually train twice a day, 6 days a week. This will include 2 weights sessions, 2-3 track running interval sessions, a longer grass running session for 800m training, 2 technical sessions, where I work on my throws, jumps and hurdles, and then I will do about 2-3 cardiovascular sessions, usually fartlek in nature. Two of these CV sessions will be non-impact in nature, such as bike or cross trainer, to avoid added stress to my bones. These sessions are interspersed with medicine ball power work, plyometric drills and lots of core stability and rehabilitation exercises to help avoid injury.

During the competitive season, the load is reduced and we work more specifically on speed and technical refining. I will probably reduce my weights to once a week, with fewer sets and repetitions.

Weight training for me is quite event specific, but the focus is definitely on power lifting - mainly cleans and snatch. My best clean is 87.5Kg for 1 rep, which is not bad for a 59Kg athlete!

How often do you train? Do you regularly go to the gym? How long have you been training for? Did you look like this before?

I have been doing athletics for 12 years and was always involved in team sports throughout my teens. However, I've been training specifically and more seriously for athletics from about the age of 18. I first started lifting at 19 when I came to uni.

I was always slim and athletic because I've always been involved in sport, but my muscles have become more defined and structured since I started weight training and controlling my diet.

Have you ever had an injury and if so how did you over come it? Any tips for people who want to avoid injuries?

I have had so many injuries it is hard to keep count! I think as an athlete trying to reach the top you train at a level where there is a fine line between being in the best physical shape possible and tripping over the edge and damaging your body.

In the past I have had a serious hamstring tear and several stress fractures to my feet bones. I just try to stay motivated and reset my goals. It is important to be positive, seek good physio advice and as I have learnt, to do the rehab exercises they set you! For me it has been due to overdoing it and due to the fact my biomechanics have not been too good. But sometimes you just can't avoid an injury and have to stay patient. This is the case for me at the moment, despite being bored of just gym work and rehab exercises.

When you have an injury, there is no reason why you cannot train your non-injured body parts and stay in good shape. I feel fitter than ever, despite not being able to run at the moment.

What's your diet like?

I think I eat a good balanced diet, with lots of fruit and vegetables. I make sure I get a good balance of protein and carbohydrate with every meal and try to eat 'good' fats from oil and nuts.

It is the timing of my food which is important in my sport. Immediately before and after training I eat high glycaemic based carbs, such as a banana or snack bar. Then a couple of hours later I will have a proper meal with carbs that release energy slowly, namely wholegrain bread and rice based.

I do have a sweet tooth though and being an all or nothing type person I do have a binge every now and then.

Do you take any supplements and is so which ones? How do you think they help you?

Other than multivitamins I have not previously used any supplements. However, to improve my strength for the bobsleigh testing and to maximise the gains from my weight training I have started taking LA muscle Bioactivator protein. I feel this will help the recovery of my muscle fibres following a session.

What advice would you give anyone wanting to enter your sport?

I would say to try a variety of athletic events. I love the heptathlon because of the varied nature of the training - There is always one event giving me satisfaction even if I am struggling with other events. It should always be fun, but be prepared to work hard. The best part is when all the hard work and sweat and tears pays off!

Who is your inspiration?

I have always admired Denise Lewis for both her athleticism and character. Having met and competed with her - she is so friendly and encouraging - I was inspired to fulfil my dreams. My true inspiration comes from within myself- to do myself justice.

What motivates you? How do you keep focused?

Setting myself goals, both short and long term, is what motivates me. It is also everything that surrounds the sport - friends, travel and achievement - that motivates me to give my best to every session or competition. It is a way of life that I would not want to be without at the present time.

We hear you are thinking of entering some natural figure competitions. Do you know much about them? How do you think you will do? Are you a natural on stage?

Yes, mainly because as I am not competing in my sport at the moment I want another target. It also seemed a good reason to keep my body in good shape. I watched a comp at the Fitness Expo (Olympia) last month and it was a bit scary! Holding each pose looked very uncomfortable, but I would like to find out more... watch this space! I like to perform so I think I'd be happy on stage once I knew what was required.

In the sport of body building, women are always given less in prize money than men. This is something that we believe needs to be put right. Do you find any discrimination such as this in your sport? Does being a woman put you at a disadvantage either physically or through treatment by sporting bodies/colleagues?

Personally I have not experienced any discrimination in athletics. Access to funding and treatment is purely objective, based on performance standards and achievements. However, you could say that it is discrimination that women only do 7 events for the heptathlon, whereas men do 10 events for the decathlon. But myself and the other female heptathletes I know are quite happy with that at the moment, as any change would completely disrupt the dynamics and standings of the event.

Similarly, there are some differences in bobsleigh as women only compete in 2-man bobs, whereas men compete in both 2-man and 4-man competitions. I think this is because the sport is only just becoming a serious event for women. I'm definitely in favour of equality throughout in terms of acknowledgment of performance, be it with prize money or other means though.

Anything else you wish to add?

My motto is always to do sport - no matter at what level - as it enhances every other aspect of you life.

Thank you very much Caroline and good luck with your forthcoming competitions.

You can contact Caroline for "serious" modelling enquiries for TV/Commercial/Media work here: Caroline Pearce Management