Scottish medallist goes back to McDonald's job days after Commonwealth Games
Scottish judo athlete Summer Shaw returned to her part-time job at McDonald's shortly after winning a bronze medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Her story highlights the financial challenges faced by athletes in niche sports who rely on secondary employment to fund their training.
Why it matters
It sheds light on the economic realities of professional sports and the lack of sufficient funding for many high-level athletes.
You can be at the peak one moment and then at the base the next. That's how unpredictable life's highs and lows can be. For a 22-year-old Scottish athlete who won the country a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026, life returned to normal with her shifts at McDonald's continuing. Judo competitor Summer Shaw shared a TikTok about her story, where she earned Scotland's first judo medal at the international sporting event, and then returned to her part-time job at the eatery as a crew trainer.“And that’s on doing a sport no one cares about … someone sponsor me so I don’t have to work,” the 22-year-old captioned her TikTok shared on Aug. 7, adding hashtags like #athletelife #sponsorme #help and #diva.
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