When Team Scotland debutant Ellie Stone made it on to the Scottish Cycling programme, she finally got to meet a familiar name.
Hailing from the north of Scotland, she had followed in similar footsteps of Lauren Bell, who will join her at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer.
Stone comes from Aviemore in the Highlands but went to school in Forres, where Bell comes from.
Furthermore, she also undertook the same UK Sport talent transfer programme Bell did, albeit two years afterwards. Both riders came from an athletics background before making the switch to the track.
It presented a surreal scenario for 21-year-old Stone when the two finally got to meet on Scotland duty.
“I did a talent transfer in 2018. I did athletics and went on to the programme, where you perform a variety of activities and a bunch of sports look at your data. Cycling was one of them and I’ve cycled ever since,” she said.
“I believe they run it every two years; Lauren did it two years before me and then I joined it. I’ve been sort of following Lauren over the years; we’re from similar areas and went to the same school for a bit.
“People would ask me if I knew her and I was like ‘I don’t know her but I know of her’. It was so funny when we finally met on the Scottish programme – ‘you’re that other person from up north!’
“I’d heard a lot about her but I don’t think she knew a lot about me. We were in primary school together for a year but by the time I got to secondary school, she had gone to a different school down south.
“We’re both from the same sort of area and it makes you realise it’s a small world.”
She is proud of her heritage, which taps into various parts of the Highlands, even if it means she does not know exactly where to call home.
“I did athletics in Inverness, went to school in Forres and live closest to Aviemore – I never know where to pit myself.
“I pick Aviemore because it’s the closest town but it changes from time to time when people ask me.
Name: Ellie Stone
D.O.B:
Home town: Aviemore
Previous CG experience: none
Event(s): Tandem B kilo, tandem sprint
“It’s a great area to cycle but it’s so hilly and windy. The roads tend to be quieter with cars but not sheep; the sheep tend to be more terrified of bikes than they are cars and I don’t know why.”
Stone will be making her Games bow alongside a Team Scotland legend this summer in Aileen McGlynn. She will be the pilot for McGlynn in the tandem kilo and sprint races in the velodrome, after going on a crash-course to learn that aspect of riding earlier this year.
“I’ve got quite a big family so hopefully as many as possible are able to go. I told mum she has to be there.
“I told them on the first day I knew and told them they couldn’t tell anybody. They said ‘what? why would they tell you if you can’t tell anybody?’ but I could only say sorry!
“There’s certain people I wanted to tell because I didn’t want them to find out over social media, so I had to be quick to get to them before it came out.”
With McGlynn at the end of her international career and Stone just at the start of hers, the Commonwealth Games provides a nice “changing of the guard” moment on the world stage.
“It’s going to mean so much to me. Because I haven’t had much international experience I’ve no idea what to expect; I have no pre-judgement on what it’s going to be like.
“I’m looking forward to just taking it all in and taking it into what I’m going to do in the future. I’ve had quite a good year so I’m hoping I can just add this to the year I’m having.
“Hopefully it can open up some doors for me.”
