All about community for Rochy’s Sportsperson of the Year

Being acknowledged by his community is particularly special to Col, with honours like the Rochy Sportsperson of the Year showing him the strong impression he has made.

“Some of the best awards are the ones that are from back home,” Col said.

“It shows that my performance has an impact on not only the committee and everybody who is nominating me, but the local and general community.

“Part of the reason I do this sport is to show kids back home, with or without a disability, they are capable of achieving their goals.

“To receive the Rochy award, (I’m) super honoured.”

Growing up in Bamawm Extension and attending Lockington Consolidated School, Col was not always exposed to the opportunities out there for a self-proclaimed ‘country larrikin ginger boy’.

This has inspired him to visit many local schools when he is back in town, including after Paris when he called into Locky Consolidated and Zeerust Primary School.

“We very rarely had people come in and show their Paralympic, Olympic, Commonwealth Games, AFL or netball championships or success medals and trophies,” Col said.

“So for me, being a local boy, being able to inspire those kids and tell them that you can achieve your goals.

“You pull out the medal and say, ‘here’s the proof’.”

Col reflected on the support he received from the community throughout his career, particularly during his youth as he was rising the swimming ranks.

These contributions motivate Col to give back, through school visits and donations to the Rochester Sports Museum.

“Growing up in the local area, a lot of people did a lot of things for me to help me achieve my goals,” he said.

“So for me to be able to repay people with those favours and helping out the local community through donating uniforms from the opening ceremony at the Tokyo games, Commonwealth Games, Paris games ... it’s super cool.

“You can’t be what you can’t see. When kids go in and see the uniform, they feel inspired.”

During one school visit, Col was approached by a youngster who told him, despite not having a disability, that he wanted to go to the Paralympics when he grew up.

“He said he wanted to go to the Paralympics and not the Olympics,” Col said.

“He wasn’t impaired or have a disability at all, but he wanted to go to the Paralympics just because I was a Paralympian.”

The interaction resonated with Col, causing him to reflect on what he saw — or didn’t see — growing up with a disability.

Col feels empowered and even obligated to provide that representation.

“As a Paralympian, we always looked up to Olympians,” he said.

“We were always seeing or shown on TV ‘this Olympic superstar’ and ‘this Olympic athlete’ and ‘this Olympic achievement’, but we never quite hear the word ‘Paralympic’.

“As I’ve gotten older and realised that people don’t care as much about the Paralympics as they do the Olympics, it’s our job and responsibility as a Paralympian to change the idea of that.”

While Col is back in Melbourne training between nine and 12km a day in the pool alone, Col, a big family man, had some time after the 2024 Paralympics to enjoy farm life at home, even donning the Bamawm-Lockington United cricket kit for a few matches.

It was sharing the elation with his family after winning silver in the SM10 200m men’s individual medley event on the last day of the Paris games that sticks out in his memory.

“To be able to walk away with a silver medal in front of 14,000 Frenchmen was honestly a highlight,” Col said.

“More importantly, having my family there ... being able to share that moment with them immediately after was super special.”