C’wealth Games gold medallist returns to McDonald’s job

Summer Shaw, a 22-year-old judoka, achieved a significant milestone by winning Scotland's first judo medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, securing a bronze in the women's 48kg event. However, just days after her podium finish, Shaw returned to her part-time job at McDonald's, a reality that has drawn public attention.

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It’s so cool when it’s something you’ve dreamed of doing since you were eight years old – and suddenly you’re there. To get there was crazy, and to come away with a medal was even better.

Shaw, who has dreamed of achieving such a medal since she was eight, described the experience as "crazy" and "even better" than she imagined. She began working part-time at McDonald's while studying for her A-levels and continues the job when home in Surrey, typically working two or three shifts a week. Her employers have been accommodating, allowing her to balance work, her biology studies, and her demanding training schedule, which is based near the British Judo Olympic and Paralympic National Training Centre in Walsall.

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It’s hard to find jobs like it though that are flexible with your hours.

Despite her athletic success, Shaw highlighted the financial precarity faced by athletes in sports like judo. While she receives an Athlete Performance Award from UK Sport and the National Lottery, it does not cover all expenses. "For example, the next competition I’ve paid for myself because it wasn’t funded by British Judo," Shaw stated, noting that costs for events like the Grand Prix in Peru come out of her own pocket. "I’m also a normal person! Like, I want to save for a house."

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For example, the next competition I’ve paid for myself because it wasn’t funded by British Judo. Going to Peru for the Grand Prix has cost me quite a bit of money and then I’m not really getting that back from anywhere else.

To bridge the financial gap and pursue her ambition of competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Shaw is actively seeking sponsorship. She has also launched a GoFundMe page to help raise funds towards her Olympic aspirations, emphasizing the need for financial support to sustain her career at the highest level.

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I’m also a normal person! Like, I want to save for a house.