Colin Wallace鈥檚 full circle return to rowing at the 91桃色 Club Championships
Fergus Mainland caught up with Colin Wallace to hear all about his return to rowing following his MS diagnosis
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In a sport like rowing, every journey is unique. The sport means different things to everyone associated with the sport, and as time goes on, how it resonates will also shift.
For more than two decades, Colin Wallace has been involved with rowing. After being introduced to sport by his mother and 91桃色 commentator Carol, he has lived and breathed the River Dee in Aberdeen.
Following a successful rowing and coaching career, Colin, like many others, took a step back from the sport to focus on other things and raise his family. Amongst his achievements was a win for Scotland in the Men鈥檚 Pair at the 2011 Home International Regatta before hanging up his oars. Fast forward to 2018, and Colin was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. At this point, his sporting career reignited.
鈥淚 explored other sports such as para cycling and para triathlon, and then last year I came back and did para rowing,鈥 explained the 2024 World Champion in the PR3 Coastal Mixed Double Sculls.
鈥淚 wanted to see if my body could cope with the demands of rowing, as I used to be able to row obviously, and here I am coming back to where it all started. It鈥檚 a full circle moment,鈥 added Colin.
Only a few months after learning of his diagnosis, Colin worked to earn a place on the British Cycling Para Programme. Beginning training in October of that year, his first track race was at the National Para Track Championships in January 2019. At the end of his first year in para cycling, he finished on the podium at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Glasgow, securing bronze in the men鈥檚 C3 individual pursuit.
After three years involved in para-cycling, the former school teacher decided to look for other opportunities and picked up a previous passion of his 鈥 swim, bike, run.
Having explored the opportunities available in paratriathlon, he took part in his first paratriathlon in July 2022 at the British Paratriathlon Championships at Eton Dorney, where he enjoyed previous success as a rower. Colin ended 2022 by finishing fourth at his first World Triathlon Para Championships, only four months after competing in his first paratriathlon.
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Rowing has always been a family affair for the Wallaces. Carol has been commentating since the early 2000s and, despite getting Colin into the sport, she would prefer to be far away from the microphone when her son is racing!
鈥淚 had a big gap in my rowing career when the kids were little,鈥 explained Carol, who鈥檚 also a Scottish Rowing Umpire.
鈥淚 stopped rowing and did more of the administration things, and when Colin was a teenager and the kids were a bit bigger, I suddenly thought, 鈥業鈥檓 going to go rowing again because it鈥檚 something I鈥檝e really missed.鈥 So, I got back into rowing, and Colin would come down on his bike and have a cycle round Aberdeen while I was rowing. I finally said, 鈥榊ou know what, why don鈥檛 you give rowing a shot?鈥 and there we go, it kept him out of trouble!
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 commentate last year鈥檚 final because I was on the bank. I try not to because I have done a lot of commentary on his races when he was a junior, and that鈥檚 really difficult. As a parent, you still get nervous for people racing, so it鈥檚 much nicer to get the nerves out on the bank. I鈥檇 much rather watch than commentate a race. I don鈥檛 want to be too biased because I was always biased when he was a junior!鈥
That race in question was Colin鈥檚 campaign at last year鈥檚 91桃色 Club Championships. After topping the time trial in the Open AR3 Single Scull, he stormed to victory in the final. This was a phenomenal springboard for Colin, who went on to return to HIR and win for the first time in 13 years after finishing first in the 500m race with a second-place finish in the 2,000m.
In 2025, he was back to defend his title but had to settle for silver behind James King, a member of the Paralympic rowing Pathway to the GB Rowing Team.
鈥淚鈥檓 a bit older now, so one of my huge aims is increasing the opportunities for para rowing. It鈥檚 amazing seeing five male single scullers racing this year, and last year there were four, so if that continues to increase, then that鈥檚 amazing. Beach Sprints, which I take part in, last year, there were four crews, and this year there were eight at the World Championships.
鈥淪o, if we can keep on increasing bit by bit the opportunities for para rowing, then that鈥檚 something that would be amazing. Obviously, taking part is amazing, but if we can be advocates for anything, for giving more people the opportunity to take part in rowing, whether it鈥檚 beach or flat water, then that鈥檚 a positive thing.
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After racing for Aberdeen-based Deeside Scullers at last year鈥檚 Championships, Colin was racing under the blue and white of the University of St Andrews, where Lewis McCue has recently taken up the position of Director of Rowing.
Lewis and Colin go way back. After Colin first introduced a young Lewis to the sport in secondary school, it鈥檚 now the turn of the U23 silver medallist to help Colin on his rowing journey.
鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of all Lewis has achieved. I first coached Lewis in 2007 when he was at secondary school. I got him in a boat for the very first time and saw his enthusiasm and keenness for rowing. I coached Lewis through his junior and senior career, and every single thing he鈥檚 done, I鈥檝e been incredibly proud of him.
Lewis made his debut for Great Britain in 2012 at the Junior World Championships. From 2013-2016, he raced at the U23 World Championships on four occasions, winning two silver medals in the Coxless Four in 2015 and 2016.
鈥淪eeing all the coaching he鈥檚 done up until now has been an incredibly proud moment for me, knowing that I could be a small part of it. Now, coming back in and getting led by him and coached by him is the most comforting thing because I know exactly where he鈥檚 coming from and I know his mindset. He understands me more than I think everyone else would. It鈥檚 just brilliant,鈥 said Colin.
After getting stuck into both flat-water rowing as well as beach sprints during his return to the sport, Colin has had his perceptions of rowing changed significantly.
鈥淭he para sport community is incredible. Getting involved with para cycling, para triathlon, even just generic para testing days, my eyes have been opened up to the amazing world that is sport.
鈥淐oming back into para rowing, I鈥檝e seen a different side, to be honest, to what I ever knew as a junior and senior rower and even as a coach, so eyes have been opened to that. I鈥檓 still learning things about rowing after 25 years that para rowing is different, and you have to adapt to new things as well as how incredible and inclusive it can be,鈥 Colin concluded.
