The Commonwealth Youth Games, established in 2000, are a unique international multi-sport event for Athletes aged 14 to 18 from nations across the Commonwealth. Held every four years, the Games offer young sportspeople their first taste of world-class competition in a vibrant, multi-sport environment, often laying the foundation for future sporting careers.

For many, the Youth Games are more than just a chance to compete. They foster lasting friendships, encourage cultural exchange, and spark belief in what’s possible. Over the years, they have proved to be a vital stepping stone, propelling emerging talent onto senior stages such as the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.

At just 17 years old, McColgan travelled to India to compete in the 1500m and 3000m. It was her first taste of international competition, the first time she had travelled abroad for sport, and her debut in the Scotland vest as part of the multi-sport team.

“Yeah, the Commonwealth Youth Games for me was in India, it was 2008, and I have incredible memories from that,” she says.

“It was very eye-opening. I don’t think I’d ever been abroad for a competition, so to be thrown in the middle of India for a championship was certainly a huge experience for me coming out of Scotland. But it was just really cool.”

The memories that have stayed with her the most are about connection.

“The camaraderie of the team, like we had grown up together, a lot of us within Athletics, but we were meeting Athletes from Boxing, from Swimming, sports that we’d never had the chance to meet before. It was just cool to be part of the team at that age.”

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Eilish broke the Games record with her stunning performance in the 10,000m at Birmingham 2022

At the time, McColgan wasn’t sure if she belonged in elite sport. But something shifted in Pune.

“I never thought I was much of an Athlete. I’ve always been low in confidence as a kid. Never quite believed this could be a job, or that I could actually do something with it. So for me to make the Commonwealth Youth Games was like a bit of recognition, a real boost to think, wow, yeah, I’ve done this. I’ve represented Scotland, and maybe I could go to the big Games and one day represent Scotland as a senior Athlete.”

She describes it as a stepping stone, not just in sport, but in belief.

“It allowed me to dream that I could make the Commonwealth Games, you know, the big one, as we called it from when I was little.”

Six years later, McColgan got her chance at the ‘big’ Games when she competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she finished sixth in the 3000m steeplechase. Racing in front of a home crowd, the experience marked a turning point. A serious foot injury soon after forced her to switch from steeplechase to flat races. It was a decision that helped reshape her career. The Games may not have brought her a medal that year, but they helped set the course for what was to come.

She also started a personal tradition: collecting mascots.

“I actually have a mascot collection, which is very sad, but I have a lot. Clyde, the 2014 mascot, is sitting on a little cabinet at home. I’ll probably buy a Finnie, the Glasgow 2026 mascot recently revealed, at some point. I don't want to jinx myself, so I always wait until I make the team before I buy a mascot.

“But it's cool. One day if I have kids, it's something that I'm sure I'll be able to pass down to them, and it'll be a nice little memento for them to hold as well.”

Since those early days in Pune, McColgan has gone on to compete at multiple Olympic and European Championships. However, it would be another eight years before she claimed gold at the Birmingham 2022 Games in the 10,000 metres, one of the standout performances of her career. And now she takes on a new role, as Ambassador for the Commonwealth Games in 2026.

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There is a strong sense of continuity in her story. Her mother, Liz, won gold at the 1986 Games in Edinburgh. Eilish remembers watching videos of that moment with her grandparents and imagining what it must have felt like. Then, in Birmingham, she created her own memory.

“The Commonwealth Youth Games was my first international event, and it gave me a real sense of what sport could be. It was the first time I truly believed I could achieve something in athletics.

“That belief carried through to the senior Games. More than anything, I loved the camaraderie of Team Scotland. We were all in it together, and that feeling stayed with me.”

McColgan sees the Youth Games not just as a springboard, but as a rare opportunity to connect across sports and cultures.

“You’re meeting Athletes from all different sports that we’d never really had the chance to mix with. It was multi-sport, which we’d never done before. I think all of that is just why I’m here today.”

When asked what advice she would give to Athletes preparing for the 2027 Youth Games, she doesn’t hesitate.

“I’d say, for any Athletes that are competing at the Youth Games, just to enjoy every single moment of it. Soak up that experience. Because there’s actually not a huge difference from the junior to the senior. You’re essentially doing the exact same thing, just at a slightly older age group and a slightly higher level.”

She encourages Athletes to take in everything they can from the experience.

“Learn from it. See what you can learn from other Athletes, other sports. Connect with people that you might not have had the chance to meet before. And just make the most of it.”

As someone who has moved from Youth Games competitor to senior champion and now ambassador, McColgan sees the importance of visibility and legacy. She recalls how Glasgow 2014 helped boost participation across Scotland.

“I think there’s no coincidence that after Glasgow 2014, we had a huge influx of kids at my local club, Dundee Hawkhill Harriers. To the point now where we still have a wait list.”

She believes the 2027 Youth Games can spark the beginning of many Athletes’ journeys, while the 2026 Commonwealth Games can inspire others to take the next step, creating a lasting legacy not just for Scotland, but across the Commonwealth.

Reflecting on her journey from Pune to Birmingham to ambassador, McColgan is clear about what the Youth Games meant to her. They were the beginning.

It is where belief begins. It is where the dream gets real.