When a life-altering accident in 2015 left him paralysed from the waist down, the water became far more than just a playground; it became his pathway back.

“Sport was a huge part of rebuilding my life after my accident,” Colin reflects. “Getting back on the water meant reconnecting with the sensations I loved, and it gave me motivation and a way to keep moving forward.”

That determination eventually led Colin to pioneer a discipline that few thought possible: seated wingfoiling.

“At first, I didn’t even know if seated wingfoiling would work. My dream was simply to fly on a foil in a straight line.”

From a straight line to flying on the swell

When Colin first began experimenting with wingfoiling from a seated position, he had no grand blueprint or competitive ambitions. Sitting lower to the board meant navigating unique technical hurdles, from managing shorter wing clearance above the water to engineering custom seats, footstraps, and waist belts to stabilise his core.

“Step by step, I learned to go upwind, gybe, tack, jump and surf waves and swell, and eventually, to race,” says Colin. “I never imagined all of that at the beginning.”

His progression quickly caught the attention of the global watersports community. Competing at legendary gatherings like the Défi Wing in Gruissan, France, where hundreds of professional riders line up alongside passionate amateurs on the same mass start line, Colin lined up as the only seated rider on the water.

“What I love most is sharing the experience,” Colin explains. “Events like Défi Wing bring together professionals and amateurs of all ages, abilities and experience levels. I was the only seated rider, but I was simply part of the same event, sharing the water with everyone else.”

Pioneering a Global Movement

As one of the foundational figures in Para Inclusive WingFoil, Colin’s work extends far beyond his own riding. By testing equipment adaptations and sharing his setups openly with riders and shapers worldwide, he has helped transform a personal experiment into an internationally recognised discipline.

“It’s amazing,” Colin says of watching the sport expand. “I love sharing what I’ve learned and helping the discipline develop and improve. We’re still at the very beginning, so seeing international riders coming together from around the world for these first events is really exciting.”

That momentum reaches a major milestone as Para Inclusive WingFoil features at the 2026 World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Portugal. For Colin, the event represents a gathering of minds as much as a competition.

“I’m most excited about meeting the other riders, sharing ideas and learning from each other,” he notes. “We can all help each other progress and grow the discipline. And of course, have fun racing together on the water.”

A legacy beyond medals

With World Sailing continuing to advocate for the return of sailing to the Paralympic Games, Colin remains focused on the broader impact of his work. While competing at the Paralympics represents an ultimate dream for many athletes, Colin measures success by the doors opened for future generations.

“Of course, competing at the Paralympic Games would be an incredible experience,” Colin says. “But what would make me even prouder would be knowing that an adaptation I helped pioneer contributed to the development of Para Wingfoil and, alongside the other disciplines, helped create new opportunities for sailors with disabilities at the highest international level.”