Gold medalist goes back to McDonald's job after Commonwealth Games

Summer Shaw won Scotland’s first judo medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Just days later, the 22-year-old was back at her job in McDonald’s.

Shaw took home a bronze in the women’s 48kg event. She returned to her part-time job right after reaching a goal she has had since she was eight years old.

“It’s so cool when it’s something you’ve dreamed of doing since you were eight years old, and suddenly you’re there,” Shaw told BBC Sport.

“To get there was crazy, and to come away with a medal was even better.”

Shaw’s quick shift from the Commonwealth Games to working in a fast-food restaurant caught attention. Someone told her it was “crazy” to win a Commonwealth medal and then go back to work.

She later made a TikTok video about her experience while on break at McDonald’s. Shaw started the part-time job while studying for her A-levels.

She continues to work at McDonald’s when she goes back to her family home in Surrey. She usually works two or three shifts a week.

The biology student has been spending a lot of time in Birmingham lately. This is where she trains near the British Judo Olympic and Paralympic National Training Centre in Walsall.

Shaw said her employers have been flexible with her hours. This flexibility lets her balance work, studies, and her sports career.

“It’s hard to find jobs like it though that are flexible with your hours,” Shaw said.

Even though she competes at the highest level, Shaw said financial security is not guaranteed for athletes in sports like judo. She gets an Athlete Performance Award from UK Sport and the National Lottery to help with her living and training costs.

But she mentioned some competition expenses still come from her own pocket. “For example, the next competition I’ve paid for myself because it wasn’t funded by British Judo,” she said.

“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.

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

Shaw believes getting sponsors could really help her as she aims to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. She has also created a GoFundMe page to help raise money for her Olympic dreams.