Video: Gillian Cooke on the Commonwealth Games
Gillian Cooke is one of Scotland’s most versatile athletes, and one of a select number who has competed in both the Olympic Games and its snowsport sibling, the Winter Olympics.
The Edinburgh-born athlete began her career in track and field more than 10 years ago as a triple jumper before concentrating on the long jump in the mid-noughties. In 2008, she made an unexpected switch to bobsled as she recovered from an injury, and she has switched between these two pursuits ever since.
Cooke has endured a disappointing year, failing to make the Team GB squad for the Winter Olympics in Sochi and this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. However, the veteran Scottish all-rounder is still embedded within the Team Scotland set-up as part of its media team, and has acted as a mentor to athletes in the camp. The Scotsman spoke to her about her hopes for the Games in Glasgow, and her own goals for the future.