As a kid I loved my home track in Dundee. It meant everything to me. But looking back, it wasn’t the best.
We used to have to chase rabbits away so they wouldn’t nibble on the already patchy trail. Children disappeared down the backstretch into total darkness before reappearing under the only floodlight that worked.
I love going back to Scotland even now. My partner finds it funny that I light up when I hear a Scottish accent or that I speak a hundred times faster once we cross the border. And Caird Park in particular remains a special place for me.
It’s a truly incredible facility with a state-of-the-art gym, indoor space and a brand new running track. But with these much-needed upgrades come higher prices.
As a sport, athletics is still relatively cheap compared to many others. But there is a cost to using a track, joining a club, traveling to events – especially in Scotland as the British Championships are held in England every year. All of these things add up. If you have siblings, it multiplies. This is difficult for most families. For some it is impossible.
I hate the thought of young kids being surpassed by athletics and missing out on the amazing opportunities the sport can offer.
Not everyone becomes the next Mo Farah or Jess Ennis, but that’s totally fine because there’s more to sport than just records and medals. It brings connections. It creates friendships. It educates. It creates a drive. It conveys qualities that are important for later life and in every workplace.
“A family member told me to beware and get a job”
That’s what it thought of—Caird Park; the nervousness of queuing for Angus Primary Schools XC on a cold, wet and absolutely miserable Scottish day; from the excitement of being “peered” after the race and thinking I was some kind of prodigy, even if most of the field was probably picked too – that’s what convinced me to start a non-profit organization called “Giving Back To Track”. ‘.
I want to do my small part to ensure that the youth in my area are not excluded from sport. With my partner Michael Rimmer, I want to create two main pillars of support – female athletes and community athletics.
We’re still brainstorming how best to help in the latter case. We may create a bursary each weekend for families who need it most, or even an athletics day off so everyone can try the sport.
First of all, we’re starting small, concentrating on Scotland and my hometown club, Dundee Hawkhill Harriers. But I would like to build to the point where we can support male athletes and even try to expand to the rest of the UK.
Eilish McColgan competed in the Steeplechase in London in 2012
The second pillar will be for female athletes. It is already well documented that a large number of women drop out of sport between school and college for a variety of reasons.
I wanted to fill that gap and make the transition a little easier with a small financial contribution towards their travel and training expenses. They are also supported with shoes and clothing for competitions.
There’s a whole host of other little things, but that’s the gist of the grant and it will benefit five people this year. And I’ll always be available on the other end of the phone to give them advice – if they ask – because I know firsthand how difficult this transition can be.
In 2011, I was nearing the end of college and crossing the line of make it or forget it. A family member told me I needed to “get smarter and get a job” but I bet on myself and vowed to give myself one more year to make it to London 2012. If I didn’t, I would get a job.
I contacted a local jam company and asked if they would support me. Her office was just up the road but I couldn’t believe it when the owner agreed to meet me. Mind you, I don’t think he expected me to hobble through the door on crutches, my left foot in a large moonboot.
I had a bad fracture and needed surgery after slipping in a competition, so I rushed in looking like I was ready to be an astronaut. Still, I was beaming at home Olympics, which to be honest was a pretty lofty goal given I’d never fielded a British team before. But I believed I could do it.
I could tell he thought I was crazy, but by the end of our meeting I was shocked to hear him say, “let’s fucking do this”.
It wasn’t a life changing amount of money, but the fact that this stranger also believed in my dream gave me a real boost. I wouldn’t let her down. Fast forward 10 years, I’d like to think their small investment was worth it.
I feel like with this project we’re going full circle by passing on to the next generation the trust they had in me and the support they gave me. I now want other young athletes to stand on the starting line and think, “Let’s fucking do this”.
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