Commonwealth judo bronze medallist Summer Shaw returned to her part-time job at McDonald's just a week after securing Scotland's first judo medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 22-year-old, who won bronze in the 48kg event, shared her experience in a TikTok video that has since been viewed over one million times.
Shaw, who qualifies to represent Scotland through her father's family, explained that she picked up the McDonald's job while studying for her A-levels. She has been largely based in Birmingham for her biology degree, close to the British Judo Olympic and Paralympic National Training Centre in Walsall.
Despite receiving an 'Athlete Performance Award' (APA) from UK Sport and the National Lottery to help with living and training costs, Shaw stated that having another source of income is "very common" for athletes in sports like judo. She noted that while the APA covers living expenses, she has personally funded some competitions, such as a recent Grand Prix in Peru. Shaw also launched a GoFundMe page earlier this year to support her ambition of competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.