Even if you’re not a fan of athletics or anything sports-related, chances are you’ve heard of Aussie bull Michelle Jenneke in this 2012 warm-up video which is gone viral. The video has garnered nearly 20 million views per week after being posted on the internet and has even been featured on late night talk show The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Since then, the media has been paying attention to the Australian athlete’s next steps. So who exactly is Michelle Jenneke? Here are all the things you need to know about her.
Who is Michelle Jenneke?
Michelle Jenneke is an Australian hedge and model. Born June 23, 1993 in Kenthurst, New South Wales, Australia, Jeneke was interested in sports from childhood. She studied at Hills Grammar School. His sports interests were football and handball. However, from the age of 10 she started training hurdles with trainer Mick Zisti and very soon she began to compete.
At the 2008 Pacific School Games in Canberra, Jenneke competed in the 90m and 200m hurdles. She began to gain recognition in 2010 during the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. Prior to the Games, she broke the Australian record for the women’s 100m individual medley at the Australian Junior Championships.
Shelly, as she is nicknamed, impressed at the 89th Australian Athletics Championships in April 2011 when she finished second to world champion Sally Pearson in the 100m hurdles.
Michelle Jenneke may have finished 5th in the 100. She overcame many obstacles at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Barcelona, but she was rocketed to world rank thanks to her warm-up training just before the race. A clip of the routine where she jumps while rocking her hips from side to side broke the internet. As a result, Jenneke began to receive a lot of media attention and earned the nickname Jiggling Jenneke.
La Ciboulette then featured her in a short comedy video titled Alone Forever Meets Michelle Jenneke where she played a role that referenced her viral pre-race warm-up video.
Jenneke has since revealed a lot about the dance, saying she started when she was 16 to get rid of jitters and anxiety before the start of the race. Jenneke also pointed out that she never sought media attention. Nonetheless, the viral video paved the way for endorsement deals and media gigs. She got featured on the 2013 issue of Sports Illustrated and was ranked 10th on AskMen’s 99 Most Desirable Women.
Jenneke turned down the offer to appear on the jungle reality show I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! but sportingly, Jenneke continued to push forward. At the Australian National Championship in April 2016, she won the 100 meters hurdles to enter Team Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
Shelly generated a lot of media buzz ahead of the Olympics due to Coca-Cola choosing her to be part of their global Rio Olympics campaign. His face was plastered on giant billboards in the streets of Brazil. The concert also included a commercial video shot in Barcelona where Jenneke performed her famous warm-up dance.
Unfortunately, Jenneke’s performance at the Olympics was disappointing. She didn’t make it past the heat, finishing in 6th place. As a result, she received a lot of backlash, especially from Australian head coach Craig Hilliard, who said he arrived in Rio looking out of shape.
Jenneke who took the criticism lightly later revealed that her lackluster performance was due to a leg injury she suffered during training. After Rio, her $8,000 funding from the Australian government was cut, but Jenneke was undeterred. She worked hard enough to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games in April 2018, where she finished 4th in the 100m hurdles.
Jenneke’s Rio flop did next to nothing to deter the endorsement partners. Going into the Commonwealth Games, she signed a contract with Blistex lip balm as their brand ambassador. She also asked Puma to provide her equipment.
Michelle Jenneke splits her time between becoming an athlete and studying for a degree in mechatronics (a combination of mechanical and electrical engineering) at the University of Sydney.
Her boy friend
Michelle Jenneke is one of those private people. Despite fan requests, she has never commented on her romantic life and she has not been seen with anyone. So, chances are she is single. She crosses her fingers to tell the world when she finds her special someone. In April 2018, we learned that she had been shortlisted for a spot on the reality TV show, The Bachelorette.
Height, body measurements
Every athlete’s body measurement has some degree of effect on their performance and Jenneke makes sure to stay in shape by incorporating the right diet with physical activity.
In her interview with Body and Soul in 2018, Jenneke reveals that she needs to eat about 6 times a day and exercise 5 times a week. Her weekly routine includes 3 track sessions and 2 gym sessions. All of this Jenneke does to stay in shape and, of course, to maintain her weight of 147 lbs. She stands at 5 feet 8 inches tall. Its banana-shaped body measures 36-26-36 (inches).
