Two members of Wales' largest police force will be hoping to do their country proud as they head to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Ellie Coster and Owain Dando of South Wales Police are among the 201 athletes representing Team Wales at the Games.
The event is being held in the UK for the seventh time and will see more than 5,000 athletes from over 70 nations battle it out across 19 different sports, with hundreds of medals to be won and records to be broken. It all kicks off on Thursday night (July 28) with what is set to be a stunning opening ceremony directed by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.
Ellie and Owain will be cheered on by their colleagues on the force after years of preparation for the games, which they have had to balance alongside their day jobs. They could bring medals back with them to Wales, with both in with a shout of finishing on the podium in their respective sports.
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Cyclist Ellie, a response PC based in Rumney, Cardiff, has been named in the Team Wales squad alongside the likes of Geraint Thomas and Elinor Barker and will line up in the team sprint and 500m time trial events. It is the 26-year-old’s second Commonwealth Games but her first as a police officer, having joined South Wales Police in 2019 – the same year she became a British time trial champion.
On the Gold Coast four years ago, Ellie and her teammate Rachel James just missed out on a team sprint medal, finishing fourth. But she is looking forward to taking to the track again after an extremely busy three years, in which she has prepared for the games while also becoming a fully qualified police officer and graduating with a degree in policing.
“Most of my family are coming," she said. "It’s nice, because when I was in Australia only my mum could come out." Having been on career break since December to allow her to focus on training, she added: "Being a police officer is pretty hands-on and physical, and has helped with keeping active, and I do really enjoy that. I’m looking forward to coming back to work – the last few months have gone quite quickly, but I do miss my work.”
Meanwhile, Owain, a PCSO in Merthyr, has been selected for the Games for the first time and will be representing his country in two events in the lawn bowls: the triples and the fours. He and the team go into the competition knowing they could come away with a medal and he is grateful for having his family there to watch him in action.
“It’s going to be my first Commonwealth Games, and so it will be a totally new experience for me,” he said. “We go there with a decent opportunity of doing well. We might not be favourites, but the conditions in Birmingham will be similar to what we’re used to playing on, and unlike the conditions in Australia or elsewhere.”
"All my family are coming up – my wife and kids, my parents. The games being in Birmingham, they’re able to get there – and it’s great for me, in my first Commonwealth Games, to have that support.”
He added: "I’ve had to use a fair bit of leave to train, but South Wales Police have been really supportive. It’s not always the easiest to balance work, practice and family life – but I’m sure it will be worth it.”
Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan said that Ellie and Owain would be representing the force and all of Wales at the Games. He added: "It was fantastic to meet them both earlier this month and hear from them not only about their dedication to their sports, but also about how they've combined that with their commitment to policing as important members of South Wales Police. I know colleagues will be looking out for how they get on – but regardless of their results, we're all immensely proud of them both."
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