Published: 04th Oct 2024 Images: Scottish Cycling

BlogHer: From Passion to Profession

In this month’s BlogHer, part of our series on women and girls in cycling, Kirsteen Durkin shares her journey in pursuing a career in sport. She reflects on the challenges she faced, her passion for coaching, and her commitment to empowering others through cycling, emphasising the importance of creating positive experiences within the community in her own words.

My Mum will kill me for bringing this up again… “You’ll never get a career in sport…”

Words ushered to me by my guidance teacher and backed up by my parents when choosing my Standard Grades in 1991. I was denied the opportunity to take PE as a subject and instead was FORCED to do German. We were just about to become part of the new European Union, so they thought a second language was going to be really helpful. The 90s were a very different landscape for sport and equal opportunities, ‘Girl Power’ was something the Spice Girls promoted!

Opportunities in a rural Borders town were extremely limited but every week I took part in recreational gymnastics in my primary school gym hall. I wasn’t particularly good or flexible but was extremely enthusiastic and especially loved vaulting. At the critical age of 12, when a lot of a friends either dropped out or moved to a different sport I chose to remain with the club. Encouraged by my coach, I soon began attending all the classes and gradually took on more of a leadership role. Who knew that these first coaching experiences were actually the start of my career. It is worth noting that this was an all-girls club, and all coaches were female.

Fast forward eight years, completion of my Assistance Coach award and an application to college. My bid for a career in something ‘sports’ related began. Returning from my third gap year, I entered the world of further education completing my HND in Sports Therapy, followed by a Sports Science degree then topped off with a Masters in Sport Medicine and Science. I paid my way through uni by coaching after school clubs every night of the week. I proved Peebles High School that their duff advice was not going to stop me following my heart.

Throughout the course of my career (a coaching career that now spans 34 years) from my lived experienced and love of all things active, I have always aimed to ensure every single contact I have with people in an activity setting is positive and encouraging. I have spent 30 years working with people in communities across Scotland and would like to think that these have had a positive impact of some form on people’s lives. I have no desire to create performance athletes, but I do have a strong desire to encourage people to remain active throughout life.

As one of only two female British Cycling Coach Education Tutors in Scotland, I feel incredibly privileged to work with aspiring coaches who are either just beginning their coaching journey or formalising their skills with qualifications. Being met with enthusiasm and their life stories is a joy and working with them to realise the start of their potential is an honour.

I’m really excited to see where these new coaches will go and how they can collaborate with our experienced coaches, who are such a valuable part of our sport. Their fresh ideas and new energy could bring some great opportunities for growth and innovation. Positivity is contagious so I want to see less old school drills and much more fun, dynamic and interesting participant centred delivery in the coming years.

Coaching is an amazing experience; I’ve worked really hard and been fortunate with my experiences from videoing Marco Librizzi on the banks of Meadowbank with a handheld camera, reintroducing cycling to women in their 50s, to teaching thousands of kids to learn to ride for the first time. I’ve spent the past 12 years at the forefront of changing cycle sport for women, playing a small part in creating good practice for getting women back into cycling and racing. Working with women at all levels never gets boring and I never stop learning or take any of these moments for granted.


Thank you, Kirsteen, for sharing your story, highlighting your passion for coaching and empowering women through cycling. For more information about how to become a cycling coach, click here.

If you would like to share your cycling story for our monthly Scottish Cycling BlogHer article, please email Melanie Toner, our Women and Girls Development Manager, at: [email protected]