COMMONWEALTH GAMES: From catwalk to runway for Steph Pywell

By Nick Howson, Sportsbeat, in Delhi

 STEPH Pywell, officially announced as one of the most beautiful women in England, is now turning her attention to becoming one of the best high jumpers in the Commonwealth.

HIGH HOPES: Steph Pywell missed the podium at the Miss England final last month but she's determined not to miss out at the Commonwealth Games (Getty Images)

The 23-year-old model-turned-high jumper finished seventh in the Miss England final at the start of September.

Pywell's success hasn't just been on the runway, with the high jumper claiming gold at the European Trials and UK Championships in June with a best leap of 1.84m.

And the Sale Harrier high jumper had already all but secured her ticket to the Commonwealth Games by jumping a personal best 1.90m at the Loughborough International in May.

Pywell has hit the 1.84m qualifying standard six times this season and despite taking time off to concentrate on the Miss England final she is adamant further success will be forthcoming.

"I am raring to go now that I have got the Miss England final out of the way," she said.

"Even though I had that to do and it meant I had to take a few days off from training my preparation has still been good and I am just doing the finishing touches so I am ready to go in India.

"Miss England was really fun and I finished seventh and won the sportswoman award so it was very successful too. I loved every minute of it and everyone thinks it is all very bitchy but it is not.

"But my heart is definitely with athletics and I might do some modelling to bring in some money but that is just to make it better for me on the athletics side of things.

"The high jump is a really technical event and if you don't get it all right then you can mess it all up and I'm determined to not let that happen in Delhi."

While the build up to the Delhi Commonwealth Games has been rocked by concerns over safety and the state of facilities, Pywell had differing reasons for potentially not competing.

Pywell was told she would never jump competitively again after suffering two stress fractures in her back, but has since proved her doctors and doubters wrong.

She travelled to Bergen for the European Team Championships in June and finished ninth and has vowed to continue upsetting the odds at the Commonwealth Games.

"As an athlete I think you are always asking for more and more and I am no different so I want to improve out at the Commonwealth Games," she added.

"I was absolutely gutted last year because I had to take a year out and I never thought I would be back.

"But my surgeon told me he would get me to the Commonwealth Games and I thought 'Are you mad - I can hardly walk!'

"But now look at me. So this is all very personal to me and I am going to give my all to make sure I can make up for the lost time."