Gloucestershire’s top teenage runner Emily Pidgeon is taking to the airwaves in an exclusive new series on BBC Radio Gloucestershire to be broadcast in the coming weeks.
“It’s been really good fun” is how the 16 year old running sensation describes the five part series in which she talks to fellow young sports stars who are also set to hit the heights." Media hopes When her running days are over Emily would like to switch to working in the media, emulating her TV favourite Sue Barker, but having to interview people was a totally new experience for her: “The first interviews were scary” says Emily. “I didn’t know what I was doing but it’s been really good fun and I had a lot of good guidance, but after a while I was much more comfortable doing the talking and I especially enjoyed the last few interviews, I felt they went really well and I enjoyed putting it all together." Guidance BBC Radio Gloucestershire’s Paul Furley worked with Emily on the series, acting as her producer and was the person who came up with the original idea for the series.
“It’s been great having Emily working with us, especially because she’s already a star in her own right” said Paul. “But we felt she could do the interviews from a totally different perspective. “Being only 16 she’s got answers out of people her own age that I never could, they were probably more relaxed talking to her and so I just worked as her engineer and producer!" Gloucestershire talent Some of the young sportsmen and women Emily talks to are also well known already, such as squash player Chris Tasker-Grindley and Gloucester’s hero at the Middlesex Sevens Anthony Allen. “It’s been really interesting because I’d have never met them otherwise and it’s nice to know there are other people who’re going through the same things as me and it’s been really fun meeting all these people” says Emily of the experience. “They’ve all set their goals really high which I think is really good and is what I try to do as well." Training partner
 | | Emily Pidgeon interviews Sarah Hopkinson |
Not everyone in the series was unfamiliar to Emily, among the people she speaks to is her Gloucester Athletics Club training partner Sarah Hopkinson, the pair know each other well from both being under the guidance of coach David Farrow. “I think Sarah was a lot more comfortable talking to me because I know her so well,” says Emily, “but it was funny talking to her mum because she just giggled the whole way through, so I enjoyed that especially!" You can listen to the first of Emily's interviews below: | 
