FROM THE EDITOR

It’s characteristic of

Jo Pavey’s generous nature that even during an incredibly busy week, she still found time to do the photos you see in our feature on page 40. The shoot took place a few days before she flew out to Brazil to take part in her fifth Olympics. The release of her autobiography, which we run an extract from, had led to a blizzard of media requests. All had to be fitted around her final prep for the Games, and her family, her main priority.

The plan was to meet Jo at a canal near her home in Devon, spend a couple of hours on the shoot, after which she could zip off along the towpath for the first of her day’s two runs. It was a glimpse of the adaptability that has helped her juggle her enduring athletics career and her busy home life as a mum of two. The shoot overran by an hour (partly because of passers-by stopping to wish her well or hand their babies to her for an impromptu selfie), but it wasn’t a problem. She even dropped us off at the station afterwards.

Jo is an inspirational figure not merely because of her achievements as an elite athlete, but also because aspects of her running life resonate with us – the simplicity of her approach, the way she fits it into her life and, more then anything, how all of it stems from a deep love of running. As someone whose early career was decimated by injuries, she’s also an example of quiet but unshakable determination. In short, she’s a great role model and an incredibly nice person.