Clyde mascot became a gamechanger for Cumbernauld’s Beth

The Cumbernauld schoolgirl who created the sellout emblem for the Commonwealth Games has been looking back on the amazing success of her creation, Clyde.

The cheekly thistle with a sporting slant was once nothing more than a competition entry on a sketchpad made by Cumbernauld Primary pupil Beth Gilmour from Craigmarloch.

Her task was to design the emblem that would capture the spirit of the games, lend itself well to merchanding and most importantly, appeal to a global audience of all ages and cultures. As a total of 46,000 Clydes had been sold by the midsection of the games, there can be no doubt that the first non-animal mascot of the competition has been a runaway smash hit.

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And Beth (14) who now attends in Lenzie Academy is still struggling to take it all in.

She said: “It is very hard to describe what it feels like. I keep saying it is so weird to see something I made becoming so successful. When I first drew Clyde I didn’t even think I would win the competition.

“So anything else has just been icing on the cake,’’ she added

One of the perks of being Clyde’s creator is the opportunity to meet so many world class figures but who was the one who made the most lasting impression on Beth.

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Fans of the commentary poolside would be surprised to learn it’s down-to-earth former Olympian-turned-pundit, Rebecca Adlington.

Beth said: “When I met her I just knew she was a really nice person.’’

The schoolgirl who is eyeing up a career in art and design or writing had tickets for quite a few of the events and has had a ball throughout.

But it’s the process of bringing Clyde to life that has really proved to be a gamechanger for Beth.

She said: “The games have been so successful and I’m very grateful to have been a part of it.’’

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