FORMER judo star Simone Callender is entering the Games both as a member of the sports department and as the reigning Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion.

She won gold at Manchester 2002, and although she retired in 2008, judo has not been included in a Commonwealth Games since she won her medal.

Now it is back on the programme and Simone, 34, can't wait to see the sport she loves in action, next summer.

Originally from London, but now living in the Merchant City, Simone said winning gold was, "absolutely amazing."

She said: "Normally we were in far flung countries that your family can't get to so to have my family and friends there to see me win in Manchester and to have the home crowd behind you for a change, rather than being the enemy, was really good.

"I want to make Glasgow 2014 special for the Scottish athletes and for all the athletes, but to have a home games – I worked in London as well – to know the feeling for them and to see it happen, it is just 
absolutely amazing."

Simone retired in 2008 following a 15-year career, and worked as the technical operations manager for judo at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games before moving to Glasgow in November to take up her role as judo competition manager.

At the Games, Simone will be responsible for all the technical elements for the competition, to make sure it is run in accordance with international judo regulations.

She will be based at the SECC, and is determined to make sure the athletes have the best possible 
experience at Glasgow 2014.

Simone said: "I always work from the athletes' perspective, because sometimes you can be clinical about these things, but I know how much it means and what it is like to be on the receiving end of when something doesn't go well and when something is run amazingly.

"I have been in both types of events so I know how much it means to the athletes, just the smallest things; that your lunch comes on time, that the bus comes on time, it's things like that I can do to make sure they do their job properly."

Simone took up judo as an excuse to fight with her big brother, Edmund, now 36, who then 
became her training partner.

Encouraged by her 
uncle, she joined an under 17 team aged just 14.

Since then she has won various international titles.

She said, after working at London 2012, she jumped at the chance of a role at Glasgow 2014.

Simone said: "I had such an amazing time working on the Olympics and Paralympics, to find out I had the opportunity to do it again was a no brainer for me."

Kate Cullen first tried her hand at cycling while she was studying for a 
degree in Architecture at Glasgow School of Art.

For her final year project she decided to design a velodrome, and travelled to Manchester to try out their track.

She was instantly hooked on cycling and, when she moved back to Edinburgh, got more and more involved in the sport.

At the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games she won a bronze medal.

Now Kate, 36, from Queensferry, has combined her love of sport and her architecture skills to take up the role of overlay manager for Glasgow 2014.

Based at the SECC her job is to oversee the installation of all the sports equipment, as well as the temporary seating, lighting and remaining infrastructure.

The sports taking place at the SECC include 
boxing, judo, gymnastics, 
netball, wrestling and weightlifting.

She said: "For an athlete it is really important 
that the field of play is good and that you can get to the venue easily.

"So I view it from that perspective – I have to make the venue work for the athletes.

"When you are an athlete you have got blinkers on – you have to, because you can't look at everything else that is going on around you – but working here you see the bigger picture."

Kate retired from competitive cycling in 2010 and started working for Glasgow 2014 in 2011.

Despite the elation she felt when she won her medal in Melbourne, says she doesn't envy the 2014 athletes.

Kate said: "That's the moment when I think, 
'I am glad I am not an 
athlete any more'. You can see how nervous they are."

matty.sutton@eveningtimes.co.uk

A FEW years ago they were smiling for the cameras on the podium. Now, 
Commonwealth Games medallists Kate Cullen and Simone Callender are working behind the scenes at Glasgow 2014.

Having experienced the competition as athletes, the pair have taken on roles in the sports and venues departments to help organisers make the home Games the best ever. MATTY SUTTON reports.