JO PAVEY has been competing for Great Britain at the highest level since 1997 when she took part in the World Championships in Athens. Having set a host of UK junior records Jo was destined to have a successful career in track and field and has been a world-class distance runner for a decade. She has won a clutch of medals including a silver in the 2006 Commonwealth Games and a bronze and was 5th in the 5000m at the Athens Olympics and 12th in the 10,000m in Beijing. She has also achieved some memorable results on the roads, particularly in Great Run events, winning the Great South Run (2006) and the Great Manchester Run (2007, 2008). She also finished third behind winner Gete Wami, (Ethiopia) in the 2008 Great North Run in the closest finish the event has seen with two seconds covering the first three athletes.
What is your favourite training session?
I really enjoy my track sessions and 4 x 1000m and 8 x 400m is probably my favourite.
What is your least favourite training session?
I hate gym sessions!
Who is your athletic hero/heroine?
It has to be the best of British so I would go for Steve Cram, Brendan Foster, Kelly Holmes, Liz McColgan, Wendy Sly and Yvonne Murray.
What was your first race?
Thinking back, that would have been the East Devon Schools’ Cross Country Championships.
What is your favourite race venue?
It has to be Crystal Palace as there is a home crowd.
What sporting event would you most like to go to?
One of the tennis finals at Wimbledon.
If you weren’t an athlete, what career path do you think you would have taken?
Physiotherapy – I used to work as a physiotherapist before doing my athletics full time and I really enjoyed it.
What is your greatest running achievement?
Fifth in the Olympic Games 5000m in Athens 2004.
What other interests do you have?
Listening to music, boogie boarding, hiking, cooking, going out for coffee.
In the hours leading up to a race, how do you prepare?
Listening to music – mostly U2 and The Killers – eating bananas and having a coffee.