'living Legacy' Evans Dreaming Of Glasgow Games

Neah Evans wanted to beryllium a showjumper, but an wounded to her equine prevented her riding. So she took up fell moving instead, only for anaemia to curtail that.

In her early 20s, emotion gloomy and losing her emotion for sport, nan veterinary student grudgingly accepted dada Malcolm's astonishment booking of a 'give it a go' cycling convention astatine nan Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

Evans, who had cycled arsenic a child, had ne'er been connected a motorcycle without brakes. She'd ne'er utilized clip-in pedals. She'd ne'er moreover been wrong a velodrome.

But pinch Glasgow 2014 looming and nan way - built for nan arena - unfastened to nan public, she recovered herself making a determination that would alteration her life.

"I almost conscionable went to appease my dad, but it was a sliding doors infinitesimal because I perfectly loved it and everything conscionable snowballed," she tells BBC Sport Scotland.

And how. Evans is speaking successful that aforesaid velodrome 11 years later arsenic nan proprietor of world and European golds, arsenic good arsenic silvers from 2 abstracted Olympics and 4 Commonwealth Games medals.

On nan way beside her, members of nan nationalist tin still get a motorcycle and helmet and person a spell conscionable for illustration she did. And 1 time they mightiness moreover extremity up for illustration her.

"If it wasn't for Glasgow 2014, and this spot hadn't been built, I wouldn't beryllium a cyclist," says Evans, who confesses that her "lively" student manner took precedence complete attending immoderate events astatine those Games.

"When group talk astir bequest and those buzzwords, I usually benignant of go, 'oh yeah, does it really work?'. But I'm surviving impervious that it could alteration your life."

Not that it happened instantly for Evans, who still readily describes herself arsenic "an accidental athlete".

Cycling remained a hobby while she qualified and worked arsenic a vet. And it was only a twelvemonth earlier nan Gold Coast Games of 2018 that she became a full-time athlete.

She went to Australia arsenic portion of Team Scotland expecting to observe she wasn't bully capable to beryllium a master and destined for a life moving pinch animals.

But Evans won metallic and bronze and abruptly a full caller profession opened up successful beforehand of her. "I was for illustration 'huh, I'm rather bully astatine this'," she recalls.

"It was a turning point. That's why nan Commonwealth Games are really typical for maine because I tin pinpoint that arsenic erstwhile I transitioned from being a vet who did a spot of cycling to seeing myself arsenic a cyclist."

With each that successful mind, nan Games returning to Glasgow adjacent summertime will people a peculiar precocious constituent for Evans.

In nan aftermath of a 2nd successful Olympics, nan 34-year-old's attraction has switched to roadworthy racing for this season. It has not gone well, pinch a succession of calamities befalling her, but she will beryllium backmost connected nan boards adjacent year.

Having competed - and won - astatine nan worlds successful Glasgow successful 2023, she knows what nan sights, sounds and smells of nan arena will beryllium and is utilizing those memories to propel her done nan her ongoing struggles.

"When you're faced pinch a four-hour motorcycle thrust successful nan rainfall and don't really fancy it, you think, 'come on, nan Games are coming up' and that keeps you going," she says.

"It's still astatine nan dream shape conscionable now - opinionated connected nan apical measurement proceeding nan anthem - but you cognize nan activity you do now is going to person an impact."