EMILY PIDGEON, 22
Sport Middle-distance runner
Event starts 7 August
Location Olympic Stadium, Stratford
Training schedule Five hours a day, six days a week
Career high Winning the European Junior Championships at 5,000m at the age of 16
Career low Missing out on qualifying for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi by seven seconds
Trainer Andrew Hobdell
Sporting hero Paula Radcliffe
Where is home? I moved to Teddington in September as my coach trains at St Mary’s University.
Pre-race beauty regime I go for really minimal make-up but you never know what cameras are going to be at a race, so I never go anywhere without mascara.
Pre-race meal Porridge with frozen raspberries, topped with pecan nuts and sunflower seeds.
Any rituals or superstitions? I try to avoid any as they would make me panic. I just try to keep myself away from everyone.
Do you train to music? I do all my runs to music, especially when I’m on my own. I love Rihanna and Beyoncé.
Bad habits I do this weird thing when I’m running, where I breathe in time with the music, or breathe the words, rather than sing them. I end up breathing really fast and feeling out of breath. That or talking too much.
Secret superfood Coconut oil. I use it in all my cooking, it’s high in good fats and much healthier to fry with than anything else.
Post-race routine Generally I’m starving, so I shower and then cook dinner.
Favourite place to train Potchefstroom in South Africa, just outside Johannesburg. It’s always really warm and there’s a grass track to train on that is kept perfectly.
How do you unwind? I’m the worst shopaholic. I’d go shopping every day of my life if I could.
Favourite meal I love proper English food, so it would be chicken and mushroom pie with mashed potatoes, lots of gravy and a ginger beer.
Biggest vice My sweet tooth. I’m also a bit addicted to Gossip Girl.
After the Olympics, you’ll be… Celebrating, hopefully, because I’ll have done well.
If you weren’t a champion runner, you’d be… A music arranger. I would love to match music to films or adverts.
Emily is an EA7 Emporio Armani ambassador
