While the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow have featured superstar athletes, royalty and pop stars, thousands of people have been working and volunteering behind the scenes to keep the event running. Their under-the-radar jobs – from floor moppers to remote control car drivers, camera divers and unicorn bodyguards – are essential to its success.
Remote control cars keep field events moving
Bob Hammond, an athletics technical official born in Edinburgh and now living in London, is one of the long throw recovery vehicle operators who drive the wee remote control car that ferries hammers, discuses and javelins around the arena. He first saw the cars at the London 2012 Olympics and was inspired to build his own with a mechanics expert friend. The custom vehicle holds the weight of a hammer and the pointy end of a javelin while running on battery power for three hours.
Fourteen years on, Hammond has worked at the Glasgow and Birmingham Commonwealth Games, the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, and major events across Europe and the USA. For Glasgow 2026, he is back zooming around the field with his custom-built carbon fibre vehicles. "This is just pure enjoyment. Everybody goes, ‘You’ve got the best job in the world’, or ‘I want that job,’" he said.
Bob and the three-person crew from his firm Novus Models appreciate the fun, but the RC job is also serious business. Using the cars saves officials from cumulatively walking up to five kilometres back and forward with a 7.26kg hammer during a meet, and saves 20 minutes of time for the athletes. Special tubes inside the car store the pointy end of javelins for health and safety. Two cars are used during an event, with one spare on hand and a fourth as backup in case of disaster – such as the time a rogue javelin almost impaled one during the Paris Olympics.
Hammond, 72, still loves every minute: "It brings a smile to people’s faces and that’s great. You tend to get a big clap as we go around."
Unicorn wrangler Finnie's chaperone
Hayley Crockett, a 33-year-old volunteer who usually works in PR, has been loving every minute of working as a chaperone for mascot Finnie. The volunteer from Kilwinning said she never knew her dream job would be a unicorn wrangler. "I didn’t even realise that was a possibility, and everyone’s been impressed when I tell them what I do," she said.
"Everyone loves Finnie and they come crowding around us. The athletes are just as excited as the kids to meet her. Finnie’s also full of beans and has lots of great ideas. She’s really cheeky and does silly things. We joke that we are the unicorn wranglers."
As part of the role, Crockett also greeted the royal party before the opening ceremony. "We got Finnie into her kilt and I had the joy of meeting the King. I really can’t believe my luck with that."
Netball court mopper earns loud cheers
Jemma Chalmers, a 26-year-old Australian born volunteer based in Glasgow, has loved netball since she was a girl. She was thrilled to volunteer to help mop the court at the Hydro. Her role is in the sports equipment team, ensuring stock for water and Powerade and making sure the court is ready before play starts. "When I found out that the Commonwealth Games were in Glasgow, I thought that it was the perfect opportunity to try something new," she said.
"My role is in the sports equipment team, so part of that is just ensuring the stock for water and Powerade, making sure the court is ready to play before the game starts. And then during the games, if the players or umpires feel as though the court needs to be cleaned or mopped, they’ll and call us on."
Chalmers, whose day job involves rewilding natural landscapes in Scotland, said the moppers often get some of the biggest cheers: "Sometimes the court moppers can get one of the biggest cheers of the game, so it is quite a fun moment. Getting on the court in front of world class international players is quite cool."
Camera diver captures underwater action
Simon Lodge and his team from Under the Water Media have been regularly hopping into the water in wetsuits to check and adjust cameras at Tolcross pool. The footage has been part of the Games coverage on TNT, BBC Alba and 5. Lodge has worked across most major swimming events and has seen technology change beyond recognition in 18 years. "I’ve been doing this since 2008 in Beijing when there was one or two cameras in the water. Now you’ve got VAR, TV cameras and numerous stills cameras," he said.
Every camera must be adjusted between races as they often shift in the water and need to be checked so swimmers are not distracted or impeded. Lodge said the work is rewarding: "It’s very rewarding to see the swimmers. These guys have trained so hard for so long and when you see the underwater (footage) and how they propel underwater, it’s incredible."
Glasgow has become one of his favourite places to work, after 2014 and 2026. "I feel like coming home when it’s Glasgow. I wish I could have every event here because the people are so helpful and understanding."
The final ticket drop is on sale now. Fans are encouraged not to miss out and get their hands on their tickets today at glasgow2026.com/tickets.
