By Morven Bruce
It’s Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week and we are shining a light on some of the amazing women leading the way in our sport.
Our clubs would be nothing without strong leaders pushing them forward, and Elaine MacKay and Kirsty O’Brien are breaking ceilings at their respective clubs by being the first women to hold key leadership positions.
Elaine is the first female President of Shettleston Harriers in 120 years of the club.
The club celebrated their centenary in 2004 and until then was a male-only club. Elaine was one of the first women to join 20 years ago when they opened to female athletes for the first time.
Before this, she was a member of sister club, although very separate, Shettleston Harriers Ladies. She joined age 10 in 1975 and competed for them up to age 25, starting out in shot put and high jump before moving to hurdles, pentathlon and finally middle distance running.
She first travelled as part of a team aged 13, and has had many team managers over the years who helped her. This is partly what inspired her to get involved in team managing herself, and she has gone on to manage teams for Scottish Schools and London Mini Marathon.
‘I love almost all aspects,’ said Elaine.
‘Training and competing but mostly introducing new people to our wonderful sport. Where a child first running round a track or an adult working towards couch to 5k but most of all team managing.
‘Highlights are so many but travelling with the boys team, including my son, to the young athletes final at Birmingham in 2004 is a great memory, as well as a trip to Gothenburg.’
Elaine’s career highlight was a PB at the Glasgow half marathon (77:52) and being first Scottish woman home. She then had her second child and stepped away from the sport for many years. Elaine returned to running after being encouraged by her daughter:
‘She encouraged me to do 5k a day in May 2022 after I retired from work. I now enjoy racing 10ks again and ran under 50 minutes at 59 years!’
Speaking about why she thinks it’s important that there are female leaders in sport, she said: ‘We need to let youngsters know that there are no limits.
‘We need to have competence then confidence then compete. This applies to running in a race and running a club.
‘Sometimes I don’t have confidence and thankfully other days I do and then I can be vocal.’
Elaine and Kirsty feature in the new edition of…
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