Colin Wallace’s full circle return to rowing at the British Rowing Club Championships

Fergus Mainland caught up with Colin Wallace to hear all about his return to rowing following his MS diagnosis

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 British Rowing 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’s 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.

“I explored other sports such as para cycling and para triathlon, and then last year I came back and did para rowing,” explained the 2024 World Champion in the PR3 Coastal Mixed Double Sculls.

“I 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’s a full circle moment,” 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’s 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 – 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!

“I had a big gap in my rowing career when the kids were little,” explained Carol, who’s also a Scottish Rowing Umpire.

“I 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, ‘I’m going to go rowing again because it’s something I’ve really missed.’ 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, ‘You know what, why don’t you give rowing a shot?’ and there we go, it kept him out of trouble!

“I didn’t commentate last year’s 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’s really difficult. As a parent, you still get nervous for people racing, so it’s much nicer to get the nerves out on the bank. I’d much rather watch than commentate a race. I don’t want to be too biased because I was always biased when he was a junior!”

That race in question was Colin’s campaign at last year’s British Rowing 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.

“I’m a bit older now, so one of my huge aims is increasing the opportunities for para rowing. It’s amazing seeing five male single scullers racing this year, and last year there were four, so if that continues to increase, then that’s amazing. Beach Sprints, which I take part in, last year, there were four crews, and this year there were eight at the World Championships.

“So, if we can keep on increasing bit by bit the opportunities for para rowing, then that’s 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’s beach or flat water, then that’s a positive thing.

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After racing for Aberdeen-based Deeside Scullers at last year’s 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’s now the turn of the U23 silver medallist to help Colin on his rowing journey.

“I’m 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’s done, I’ve 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.

“Seeing all the coaching he’s 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’s coming from and I know his mindset. He understands me more than I think everyone else would. It’s just brilliant,” 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.

“The 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.

“Coming back into para rowing, I’ve 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’m 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,” Colin concluded.